A prank caller to a McDonald's in Oregon told an employee to pull a fire alarm as part of a test of the alarm system. (UPI/Billie Jean Shaw)

KENNEWICK, Ore., Dec. 8 (UPI) -- A prank call to a McDonald's in Oregon on Sunday resulted in thousands of dollars worth of damages.

The incident occurred when an employee was instructed to pull the fire alarm after receiving a call from a man claiming to be from the local fire department. The caller claimed that the practice was part of a remote test of the restaurant's alarm system.


The employee proceeded to pull the alarm, causing chemicals used to extinguish kitchen fires to pour from the ceiling.

The chemicals were sprayed on the restaurant's grills and deep fryers forcing management to close.

The total loss in clean-up and business was estimated to be around $5,000.

The call is believed to be one in a string of similar pranks as two other McDonald's locations in the area reported similar calls, including a location in Stanfield, Ore., where the alarm was also pulled.

The Kennewick Fire Department released a statement after the incident saying that they would under no circumstance do a fire alarm test over the phone.