LAKE PLACID – A clothing dryer at the Gold Medal Laundromat in Lake Placid caught fire Friday morning, leading to a short effort from firefighters to contain the fire.

Lake Placid Volunteer Fire Department Head Fire Driver Justin Roy said the fire – which started shortly before 8 a.m. – was contained to only one dryer. The sprinklers activated in the laundromat, and there is water and smoke damage there.

Firefighters evacuated the entire plaza.

The Heritage Indian Grill restaurant and Hannaford grocery store on either side of the laundromat had some residual smoke enter because they share a ventilation system. Both businesses closed for several hours. They left doors open to clear out the smoke and there was no damage to either business, Roy said.

Hannaford reopened shortly before 2 p.m.

Heritage was reopened well before the 5 p.m. dinner rush.

Roy said they used around 200 gallons of water to extinguish the fire. LPVFD Chief Mike St. Louis said he was very glad it was a quick knockdown and the fire did not spread. That plaza is a large building.

Investigators with the Essex County Office of Emergency Services were still investigating the cause of the fire on Friday evening.

The fire department received an alarm activation notification from the plaza at 45 Hadjis Way. While they were on the phone with the alarm company, a 911 call came in reporting smoke coming from the building.

The LPVFD responded with three trucks and 16 members.

St. Louis said it was a great manpower turnout for early in the morning on a workday. They pretty much emptied out the equipment from the station.

The Saranac Lake Volunteer Fire Department responded to the scene with 10 members and a pumper truck. The Wilmington Volunteer Fire Department stood by at the Lake Placid firehall with manpower and a pumper truck.

All units were back in service by 10:04 a.m.