An Austin restaurant is open today after a grease fire blazed in the kitchen Saturday afternoon.

The fire, confined to the stove, was put out by a bystander shortly before the Austin Fire Department arrived on the scene at Oriental Express, 501 Oakland Ave. W., at about 2:30 p.m. Saturday.

Fire marshal Tim Hansen said a grease fire began on the stove while food was being prepared and the business was closed. He said the cook put a lid over the flames and a sprinkler system was activated, but it was not enough to put out the flames.

Ronald Huffman, 65, of Austin said he was stopped at the intersection in front of the restaurant when he noticed smoke pouring out of the building. He pulled over to see what was wrong and the owner came outside and told him to call the fire department, he said.

Huffman used one of the business’s fire extinguishers to put out the flames, and when firefighters arrived they ventilated the building.

“It wasn’t too bad and it extinguished pretty quickly,” Huffman said.

Hansen did not have an estimate of damages but thought smoke damage was limited.

When restaurants, or individuals, put out any fire on their own, Hansen said, they should always still call the fire department to ensure the situation is safe.

In February, a blaze that began as a grease fire in the kitchen of a popular Minneapolis restaurant spread into the ceiling, ultimately destroying the restaurant and four attached businesses.