Last night at Penn Square Mall got a little too fiery for comfort when flames and heavy smoke started pouring from the roof above the Texas de Brazil steakhouse, forcing the restaurant and nearby areas to clear out in a hurry.
Multiple Oklahoma City Fire Department units rolled up on the mall’s south side as ladder trucks stretched toward the roof and crews attacked the fire from above. Shoppers and diners were pushed back from the scene while firefighters focused on smothering the blaze and keeping everyone out of harm’s way. Early on, officials had not confirmed any injuries, with the priority squarely on knocking down the flames and managing the evacuation.
According to News 9, firefighters said an AC unit on the restaurant’s roof initially caught fire, sending smoke into the night sky as crews worked from ladders and the roofline to get control of it. The restaurant was evacuated and that injury reports were still unknown; a photo from the scene was credited to photographer Aaron Peck.
Where It Happened
The official Penn Square Mall directory lists Texas de Brazil in the south dining corridor, near the theater and the mall’s south entry. The shopping center is owned and managed by Simon Property Group, and the Oklahoma City restaurant is shown on the chain’s Texas de Brazil location page as its Penn Square Mall spot.
Past Incident At The Same Spot
This is not the first time fire crews have been called to that stretch of the mall. In late November 2022, a blaze in the ductwork above Texas de Brazil spread through the restaurant’s ventilation system and triggered a full evacuation of Penn Square. Damage from that incident was estimated at about $150,000, and no injuries were reported, according to The Journal Record…