‘Small hood fire’ summonses firefighters to Hen of the Wood on Saturday

February 10, 2026  |  By Waterbury Roundabout

Waterbury Fire Department responds to a call at Hen of the Wood on Saturday night on Main Street. Photo by Gordon Miller

The Waterbury Fire Department responded on Saturday night to Hen of the Wood restaurant on Main Street for what turned out to be a minor fire inside the kitchen’s exhaust system.

No one was injured and restaurant owner Eric Warnstedt said there was no significant damage as a result of the incident that happened around 9 p.m. Saturday. 

An alarm was triggered, prompting a response from the fire department. “It’s the protocol,” Warnstedt said, calling the circumstances “a small hood fire.” 

Fire Chief Gary Dillon said there were just embers coming from the hood when the fire crew arrived. “The extinguishing system activated and solved the fire problem,” he said.