Christmas Eve blaze at Hong Kong restaurant

BOSTON -- Crews battled a fire at Hong Kong restaurant near Quincy Market on Thursday night.

Flames sparked just before 9 p.m. at the Chatham Street business.

The restaurant was open when the fire first ignited. About a half dozen people were safely evacuated, and no injuries were reported.

The Boston Fire Department said the blaze started in the first floor ceiling and quickly spread to the second floor.

"If you look over my shoulder, there's Faneuil Hall behind me, there's a lot of historic buildings down here, and historic buildings have a tendency to burn much faster because the wood has been dried out. These buildings are made out of heavy timber construction, and once that gets going, it's very difficult to extinguish," said Deputy Chief Stephen Dunbar of the Boston Fire Department.

Officials said the fire was caused by an electrical short circuit inside the restaurant.

The restaurant will be closed until further notice.

The damage from the fire is estimated to be around $400,000.

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