Grease from a stove was the cause of a fire that damaged the kitchen of Burger King, 3121 Halls Ferry Road Friday.

The fire occurred about 9:41 a.m., and forced restaurant employees to evacuate the restaurant, which is closed because of the damage. No one was injured.

Restaurant employee David Easley said he was cleaning grease from one of the stoves in the kitchen when the grease caught fire. He said he tried to put the fire out with fire extinguishers, but the fire grew. The restaurant’s manager, Tina Stamps, said she walked out of her office to see the fire burning from behind the stove.

“The damage was contained to the kitchen and the roof,” Vicksburg Fire Chief Craig Danczyk said. He said the fire managed to get in the vent fan and duct work in the kitchen, adding greasy residue from the kitchen helped the fire expand into the ceiling and roof areas. Firefighters had to get on the building’s roof to get to the fire after it entered the ductwork.

“The employees tried to put it out, but were unsuccessful, and they called 911 and were able to get out of the building,” he said.

“By the time we were getting to leave, the employees were going back inside to start cleaning up.”