By Associated Press - Friday, May 23, 2014

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) - Oily rags and other cloth items are being blamed for a fire that caused roughly $30,000 in damage to a well-known Iowa City restaurant.

No injuries were reported in the fire reported early Sunday morning at Hamburg Inn No. 2, which is a popular stop for political candidates and people seeking comfort food.

The Iowa City Fire Department says the fire started on a wall shelving unit located next to a clothes dryer in the basement of the building. Rags, aprons and other items that had recently been laundered continued releasing heat until they started a fire, which spread up the wall and ignited other materials.



On Monday inn owner Dave Panther estimated the restaurant would be closed for at least three weeks.

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