A fire broke out on Tuesday, Feb. 26 in the kitchen of The Grill when a coil from an old grill burst into flames.

“At first, I was stuck and did not know what to do,” said Grill Worker Mecah Bellamy. “Then I ran.”

When Grill Worker Kevin Otutuloro saw the fire, he quickly jumped over the counter to get away. However, he soon returned and successfully put out the fire.

Although this was a scary moment for the workers and Grill customers, Otutuloro believes something positive can still come out of the fire.

“It happened because the grill was old,” said Otutuloro. “Now we are getting a new grill, which they had planned on doing, but this speeds up the process.”

Although some positives may come out of this event, Otutuloro believes it should have been handled differently.

“After all that I had to go through, I still had to continue working,” he said.

Otutuloro felt that The Grill should have closed for the day after the fire just to make sure everything was under control.

Sophomore Eli Moran was at the grill when the fire started.

“I just heard a lot of commotion and then saw Kevin jump over the counter,” said Moran.

Now that The Grill will be getting a new grill to replace the faulty one, Otutuloro and Bellamy believe that it may mean increased food options for students. The new grill will be capable of cooking a wider variety of food, which may expand The Grill’s menu.

Sophomore Kendall Goins is excited about the idea of more food options on campus.

“I hate that a fire happened, and I am glad everyone is OK, but I think it’s great that it could possibly mean new choices at The Grill,” said Goins.

The fire scared workers and students and brought up some concerns but could also possibly lead to a better Grill.