Blaze erupts in in Ohio diner with patrons, workers still inside

WAYNESVILLE, Ohio (AP) — A breakfast-time blaze broke out at a restaurant in southwestern Ohio while about 20 employees and some 30 diners were still inside.

No one was injured in the morning fire today at the Der Dutchman in Waynesville, about 20 miles outside Dayton.

Waiter Jaime Schaffer tells The Dayton Daily News the fire started in a chicken roaster in the kitchen. He says employees used extinguishers, but the fire reignited and spread.

The restaurant evacuated patrons before smoke billowed into the dining room and firefighters arrived.

Flames shot some 50 feet into the air, and smoke could been seen from a nearby highway.

The restaurant is a popular tourist spot that sells Southern staples including fried chicken and pies, and hosts an annual sauerkraut-cooking competition.