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Moviegoers were forced to evacuate Eureka’s Broadway Cinema last night after a fire broke out in one of the theater’s restrooms around 7:30 p.m.

Humboldt Bay Fire Battalion Chief John Chambers told the Outpost that the fire started in the ventilation system near a light fixture in the ceiling. The fire triggered the sprinkler system in the restroom, keeping the small blaze in check while firefighters responded to the scene. There were no injuries reported.

“The fire was out within 10 or 20 minutes of arrival,” Chambers said. “We’re grateful to theater staff and [attendees] who were cooperative during the evacuation.”

The fire damage was “pretty minimal,” he added, estimating smoke and fire damage at $3,000 to $5,000. Water damage from the sprinklers will likely cost up to $15,000. 

“They’re going to have to remove all of the drywall and paint in the restrooms,” Chambers said, noting that damages appear to be isolated to the restroom area.

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UPDATE: After publication, Chambers texted the Outpost around 3:15 p.m. with additional information. He clarified that the fire originated in the women’s restroom, and the sprinkler head that activated was in a utility closet above the restroom area, spraying water into “both restrooms and some upstairs office spaces.” 

“The fire department spent extensive time with what we call salvage operations removing water from the facility,” he said. “They do currently have power [at the theater]; however, an electrician is [on] scene going through the electrical system to verify that it is safe and operating properly. … Two individuals were evaluated for smoke inhalation and received medical care from our personnel, one of which went to the hospital for further care.”

Chambers said he’d be hesitant to call it an “electrical” fire, so we’ve corrected the headline up top to reflect that. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.

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It’s not clear when the theater will reopen. Coming Attractions Theatres did not respond to the Outpost’s emailed request for additional information, but the Broadway Cinema’s Facebook page says the theater will be closed today “due to an unexpected power outage.”

The post does not indicate when the theater will reopen.

It’s also unclear whether moviegoers will be reimbursed. In a video shared with the Outpost, linked below, Jonathan Weltsch asks a theater attendant mid-evacuation if the tickets can be used at next week’s $5 movie night. “I would just hold on to your tickets and your receipts for right now,” the attendant said.

We’ll update this post if we hear back from Coming Attractions.