Hundreds evacuated after fire interrupts Easter brunch at Libertyville restaurant

LIBERTYVILLE, Ill. - An Easter tradition took a terrifying turn when a fire erupted inside a Libertyville restaurant during brunch, forcing hundreds of guests to evacuate.

Four people were injured – one of them, hospitalized – when an accident involving a propane tank caused flames to engulf the buffet table at Austin’s Saloon & Eatery.

Located in the 400 block of Peterson Road, the Libertyville Fire Department responded to the restaurant around 1 p.m. Sunday.

Over 500 people were reportedly at the eatery when the fire broke out.

"It was hysteria, we didn’t know what to do," said Luis Otero, a witness.

When crews arrived, they discovered the fire had come from the bar area but was extinguished by a sprinkler system. Still, the restaurant – a cornerstone in Libertyville that was established 34 years ago – was filled with heavy smoke.

"Our buffet runs 40 feet, so it was right in the middle of that," said Mark Khayat, owner of Austin’s Saloon & Eatery.

Booked with back-to-back seating for Easter brunch, a celebratory Sunday at Austin's was halted when witnesses say shooting flames sent diners running toward the exits.

"I heard a big whoosh," said Otero. "I immediately thought something was wrong."

Otero typically spends Easter Sunday at a relative's home, but this year, his family wanted to do something different. So, they chose to reserve seats at Austin’s.

However, in the middle of Otero’s brunch reservation, an unfortunate mishap unfolded.

"We have a steam table that was propane-operated, and a lot of people thought maybe the propane tank exploded or something like that," said Khayat. "It looked like a malfunction on a piece of equipment and that piece of equipment threw out massive flames."

Otero was seated just feet away.

"You sort of feel the effect of fire lighting up the room. At least a six-foot table – and it was just a wall of flame," said Otero.

When fire crews arrived, customers were still being evacuated and heavy smoke was billowing from the restaurant, according to officials.

"My grandpa was on crutches. He had to throw the crutches aside and sort of limp out," said Otero. "And the only way out was to actually go past the fire. There was no other escape for us, and so we just pushed forward."

"We brought some people out through the kitchen door, through the field room area, through the front doors, every door we had. We got people out, there was about 500 to 600 people in the building at the time," said Khayat.

As crews ventilated the building, they found three people with minor smoke inhalation and treated them at the scene.

A fourth person was taken to Condell Hospital for further treatment, but suffered non-life-threatening injuries, officials said.

"All in all, I think God saved us today," said Khayat.

Closed until further notice because of fire, smoke, and water damage, the team at Austin's tells FOX 32 Chicago they hope to reopen soon.

"It was isolated to our bar side," said Drew Ryan, a manager at Austin’s Saloon & Eatery. "We’re going to bounce back stronger than ever."

On Sunday evening, Austin’s Saloon & Eatery posted on Facebook, in part:

"Our most sincere apologies go out to the families who were affected by the unexpected event that occurred. We feel a tremendous amount of sorrow that your holiday was ruined & we also feel an even bigger amount of gratitude that everyone got out of the building safely… Thank you to the first responders in Libertyville & surrounding areas for coming so quickly & controlling the spread of the fire… And thank you to our community for checking in on us, offering help, support & prayers."

More than a dozen neighboring fire, police and EMS agencies assisted in the response. The official cause of the fire is still under investigation.