Smoke reported at California Dreaming restaurant downtown

Firefighters responded to Columbia’s California Dreaming early Monday after receiving a report of smoke in the building.

The call came in around 3:30 a.m. from an employee at the Main Street business, according to Mike DeSumma, Columbia Fire Department spokesman.

Fire crews found smoke but no fire. A mechanical issue with the building’s HVAC system caused the smoke, DeSumma said. No injuries were reported, and firefighters ventilated the building Monday morning.

A small fire last June caused minor damage to the building’s ventilation system.

The cause of the smoke in the restaurant Monday was not related to the fire last year, said Amber Stewart, marketing director for California Dreaming. Rather, the smoke Monday came from a motor in the building’s air handler system that burned out.

The restaurant was open for business at its normal lunch hours Monday, Stewart said.

This story was originally published March 18, 2019 at 9:41 AM.