with slideshow: Stubborn fire at Sheesh restaurant in downtown Ann Arbor took hours to extinguish

A total of 51 firefighters from four departments battled the blaze at Sheesh Mediterranean Cuisine, 207 N. Main St., Menard said. Multiple crews worked at the front and rear of the building, tearing out floors, ceilings and walls to get at the fire hiding within, Menard said.

The fire, which displaced residents of apartments and a condominium unit in the building, started when grease in the grill ignited, Menard said. When Ann Arbor fire units arrived shortly after the fire broke out at 11:23 a.m., the interior of the restaurant was in flames, he said. Firefighters quickly knocked that down, but the battle was far from over because the fire began burning between the ceiling and the second-story floor.

“We didn’t have a visible fire, but it was still burning inside the floor,” he said. “Any time it could have gotten away from us.”

The building still had the original plank floor and a plywood subfloor above that with hardwood on top. Above that was a tile floor, Menard said. Between each of those layers is a small void that allowed the fire to spread out of the immediate reach of firefighters.

By about 2:30 or 3 p.m., firefighters finally felt they had gotten the best of it, but a crew of three or four firefighters still remained on scene about 6 p.m. Monday, making sure the fire did not rekindle.

Cook Kall Ali, who was standing outside the restaurant in a soot-covered shirt Monday evening, said he and another employee were working inside when the fire broke out.

“All I could see was fire and smoke,” he said. He immediately ran out. He said he thought the fire had been caused by an oil leak.

Menard said damage will run to the hundreds of thousands of dollars. He said the Sheesh restaurant will likely have to be gutted and completely redone.

The Edible Arrangements business next door at 205 N. Main St. also had significant damage and will need cleanup and repair before it can reopen, he said. A truck from Coach’s Catastrophe Cleaning in Ypsilanti was parked behind the business Monday evening.

The Mythlogic computer business at 209 N. Main St. suffered minimal effects from smoke and should be able to continue operating, Menard said.

The fire brought out seven trucks from Ann Arbor, the five trucks staffed by on-duty firefighters and two more, including the city’s tower truck, brought online when 15 off-duty firefighters were called back in, Menard said. The tower truck is offline when there are not enough on-duty firefighters to staff it. Firefighters from Ypsilanti, Ypsilanti Township and Pittsfield Township also assisted.

About 25 residents of apartments and condominiums above the businesses were displaced, firefighters said Monday afternoon. One employee suffered a knee injury leaving the building, firefighters said.