Tulsa's Silver Flame Steakhouse goes up in flames again

The  Silver Flame Steakhouse and Seafood restaurant in midtown Tulsa caught fire Wednesday evening, the second time the restaurant has caught fire in just over two years.

Employees and patrons noticed the smell of smoke about 8:00 p.m. and in moments realized something had gone wrong.

Iman Alhlou, daughter of the owner Abdul Alhlou and an employee, says at first she thought something had simply burned on a stove.

"Sometimes the grills light up on fire, so that's all I thought it was. And then my dad runs back to the back and we just see the door on fire. Then I get everyone out of the restaurant and I run out and...the whole side's on fire."

Bartender Kass Grosinsky admitted she was scared as the chaos ensued.

"The back door where all the employees enter was just on fire. It was electrical, because they took the whole wall down, with all the electrical boxes on it and everything."

Employees said customers carried plates of food and their drinks outside with them into the parking lot, apparently not initially realizing the gravity of the situation.

Everyone did get out safely, though one firefighter was assessed for heat exhaustion after battling the blaze.

The fire extended through the wall and into the roof, complicating matters for firefighters.

In July of 2010, as the Alhlou family was out of the country visiting Lebanon, someone set fire to the restaurant.

Damage at the time was largely limited to smoke and water damage, yet it took about two months for the business to reopen.

No one was ever arrested in that arson.

Damage this time around is more extensive, but initial reports from the scene indicate nothing suspicious as the cause.