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Fire Damages Tune Inn

Updated: 1:12 p.m.

A kitchen fire broke out at the Tune Inn on Wednesday morning.

Staff of the legendary Capitol Hill tavern called 911 to report smoke coming from the kitchen, a spokesman from the D.C. Fire Department said.

The cause of the fire is believed to be accidental. No one was injured.

The fire caused about $75,000 worth of damage, according to officials.

A popular, if downscale, watering hole on Pennsylvania Avenue Southeast, the Tune Inn has been featured on the Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.”

Later that morning, the smell of smoke still hung in the air as people gathered around the front door.

Yellow tape blocked off the entrance. One person tied a balloon to a planter box and left flowers in front of the diner.

Glass from the front window lay on the ground after fire fighters broke it to get in the building. But the damage caused is minimal, and the establishment is expected to reopen in two weeks.

“Everyone is safe and we already have cleanup crews here!” the Tune Inn’s Twitter feed read. “Thank you for the well wishes! More info soon!”

Down the street, Alana Turker shook her head at the accident.

“It’s a sad story,” said Turker, owner of the Wellness Café a few doors down from the tavern. “They’ve been there forever.”

Turker said she’s never been to the Tune Inn, but she often walks by, saying hello to the regulars and the owners.

“They’re good neighbors. I’m glad to hear they won’t have to go through extensive renovations,” she said.

If you have a story to tell about spending time at the Tune Inn, please email Features Editor Ryan Teague Beckwith at ryanbeckwith@rollcall.com.

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