VIDEO: A devastating fire last week has left a beloved Avenues chef hospitalized with severe burns and his restaurant in ruins, following a medical emergency that turned catastrophic. Chris Blatchford, owner of Blatch’s Backyard BBQ, suffered a critical diabetic episode while lighting equipment at his vegan barbecue restaurant on Wednesday. The incident escalated rapidly, leaving Blatchford unconscious as flames engulfed the space. “When I passed out, I hit the ground,” Blatchford recounted, his face bandaged and voice trembling. “The fires were just all over. I had to crawl through the flames to escape with my life.”
Despite blacking out multiple times, Blatchford’s adrenaline kicked in, allowing him to drag himself to safety. He was later transported to the hospital with burns covering his face, arms and neck. The restaurant, which had earned accolades for its innovative plant-based barbecue, now sits charred and shuttered. Damage is estimated to be hundreds of thousands of dollars. “This is my dream,” Blatchford said. “I don’t think I’ve even fully accepted it yet.” But even amid the ashes, hope flickers. “I’ll find a way to come back and get to where we were — and probably be even bigger and better,” he vowed.
