D.C. restaurant fire closes streets, empties building

A small grease fire in a downtown Washington restaurant caused a lot of noise and commotion Monday morning, but didn't amount to much.

The fire broke out about 10:30 a.m. in ductwork at the Indian Express restaurant at 17 and L streets NW, prompting a relatively brief evacuation of the nine-story building that houses the eatery and at least one adjoining building where drifting smoke set off alarms, D.C. fire department spokesman Pete Piringer said.

He said no one was hurt and that streets blocked by firefighters have been reopened.

-- Paul Duggan