A Double Dragon restaurant in Kennewick WA damaged by fire
Kennewick, WA
The Double Dragon, a Kennewick restaurant loved by many, is closed after a fire on Tuesday morning damaged its kitchen.
But fire chief Chad Michael said the damage could have been much worse had it not been for the swift action of people in the area.
They spotted flames coming from the company’s roof on Clearwater Avenue just before 3:30 a.m. and called 911, Michael said. When the battalion commander arrived at the scene, he spotted flames coming out of a roof vent and a fire in the kitchen.
Firefighters entered the building and quickly extinguished the blaze.
The Kennewick Fire Department had assistance from the Richland Fire Department and Benton County Fire District 1.
No one was injured in the fire.
While the stove and other kitchen equipment were damaged, the rest of the building was largely spared by the fire, Michael said.
He encouraged people to call if something doesn’t look right.
“We’d rather check and find out it’s not what you thought it was, rather than going out into a building with a much more developed fire,†he said.
Several people were saddened by the news of the fire when it reached social media, saying it was their favorite restaurant.
Le Double Dragon was named Tri-Cities Favorite Asian Restaurant for the Tri-City Herald’s People’s Choice Award in 2016, 2017 and 2018.
Ron and Lisa Chen opened the business in 1999 after closing their first restaurant in Hermiston.
While they are both from China, the couple met in Portland and opened their first restaurant in Hermiston in 1993.
This story was originally published 7 December 2021 10:24 a.m.