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A recent rash of restaurant fires in Richmond all had a common denominator: grease buildup and poor cleaning, in some cases as a result of a third-party cleaning company, according to the Richmond fire investigators.

The four most recent fires — at Peking, the Tobacco Company, Rappahannock and Don’t Look Back restaurants — were caused by grease build-up in the duct work, according to the Richmond fire marshal’s office. They were the most significant of the eight cooking-related fires in Richmond eateries this year because the blazes spread to more than just the cooking area.

“In most of these locations, a cleaning company was called in, but it appears to us that they only cleaned part of the ductwork,” Richmond Fire Marshal David Creasy Sr. said. “It is very easy to clean the immediate area just above the cooking appliances and make someone think that the ductwork has been cleaned all the way to the exterior of the building. There is potential here for civil action by the restaurant owners.”

The restaurants did not use the same cleaning company.