NO damage has been caused to a restaurant after fire broke out from a deep fat fryer, its owner has said.

Diners and staff had to rush out of Italian restaurant Puro Gusto in Gervis Place, off Westover Road in Bournemouth before 6pm on Tuesday, August 20.  

Smoke was seen pouring out of the building before firefighters arrived at the scene just five minutes after 999 was called.  

The burger restaurant 7Bone, next door, also had to be evacuated, with staff saying smoke damage had spread across to their eatery.  

(Image: Daily Echo)

Speaking on Wednesday morning, a spokeswoman for Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service said the fire in the kitchen was caused by a deep fat fryer. 

Puro Gusto said in a statement that "everything is fine" and that there is no damage caused by the fire.

The restaurant said: "We just need to do a deep clean and get back to running our business as soon as possible. Fingers crossed we hope to reopen on Friday afternoon.

"We thank you for all your support and once again, we want to reassure you that everything is fine, that we are all well and safe and that we just want to come back and cook for you as soon as possible."

MK, of Helch Market in Gervis Place, said he saw "lots of smoke" coming from the back of the building.  

(Image: Daily Echo)

He said: "Smoke came out of Puro Gusto. The firefighters were here really quickly and have closed off part of the pavement."   

Staff from 7Bone said they believe the fire started in Puro Gusto’s restaurant.  

John Rycroft, of the 7Bone restaurant next door, said: "There's probably smoke damage in our place, come through the gaps and holes in the wall.  

"We imagine a lot of our stock will also be damaged from it. It's a shame for Puro Gusto, they're a family-run business."  

Ava McCarthy, also of 7Bone, added: "The firefighters came here really quickly - within five minutes Westbourne was here. It was really impressive." 

(Image: Daily Echo)

Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service's spokeswoman said: “We received a call at 5.41pm yesterday evening about a commercial property fire on Gervis Place, Bournemouth.  

“Crews from Springbourne, Westbourne and Redhill Park attended the incident which involved a fire in the kitchen of a restaurant, caused by a deep fat fryer.  

“Four breathing apparatus wearers used a hose reel jet and two dry powder extinguishers to tackle the fire. Our stop was in at 6.48pm.” 

Firefighters were seen with breathing apparatus going into the restaurant. Once the fire had been tackled, giant fans were used to air out the damaged restaurant and kitchen.   

It’s understood nobody was injured in the incident.  

Family-run Puro Gusto serves authentic Italian meals and seafood. It has only been open for around a year, on June 17, 2023.