Tempura-like ‘crunch’ to blame for fires at Madison sushi restaurants

Stephanie Fryer by Stephanie Fryer

Madison firefighters believe the technique used to make a tempura-like crunch likely caused separate fires at two sushi restaurants in Madison.

Investigators said the oil used to make the crunch self-heats and spontaneously combusts, which leads to a fire.

According to a release by the Madison Fire Department, the “crunch” is produced from a water and flour batter, which is deep-fried in cooking oil then placed in a container to drain and cool. Investigators said cooking oils, especially soybean and canola oil, are known to have a propensity to self-heat under certain circumstances. When the “crunch” is placed in a bowl, the ability for heat to dissipate is compromised which can create the perfect conditions for a fire.

Investigators have ruled that to be the cause of the fires at Sumo Steakhouse and Sushi Bar and Takara Japanese Restaurant, according to the release.

Firefighters responded to a fire at Sumo on April 5 and at Takara on May 10. The fires caused a combined $575,000 in damages for the restaurants.

During their investigation, Madison firefighters identified five other restaurants in Wisconsin, that also sustained fire damage due to this same food preparation technique.

Get your weather forecast from people who actually live in your community. We update with short, easy-to-use video forecasts you can watch on your phone every day. Download the iOS or Android app here.

COPYRIGHT 2020 BY CHANNEL 3000. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THIS MATERIAL MAY NOT BE PUBLISHED, BROADCAST, REWRITTEN OR REDISTRIBUTED.