Fire shuts down bar, but everyone agrees it could have been worse
Oct. 25—CHIPPEWA FALLS — A fire in downtown Chippewa Falls on Saturday destroyed a second-floor apartment, caused a bar to close, and led to smoke damage in multiple adjacent buildings. However, everyone agreed it could have been far worse.
"The crews did a phenomenal job of knocking it down," Chippewa Falls Fire Chief Lee Douglas said Monday. "I can't say enough good about the crews that worked that fire. For what it could have been ... it could have been a totally different conversation."
The fire at Every Buddy's Bar & Grill on 19 W. Central St. started around 1 p.m. Saturday, and it was contained to that one building, even though there is no space between the bar and its neighboring buildings. While the city built a new fire station along Chippewa Crossing in the southeast corner of the city, it still has trucks at the old station connected to city hall, around the corner from the bar. Douglas said being staffed at the time of the call was critical.
"We were able to get out the door, and be there in seconds; it was very important," Douglas said. "The on-duty crew was there in a few seconds."
No one was injured, and they also were able to get a pet out.
Douglas said it will be at least a few days before investigators determine the cause of the blaze.
"We have no reason to believe it was criminal or malicious," he added.
About 30 firefighters were at the scene, including staff from all three shifts, plus assistance from the Chippewa Fire District.
Wes Partlo, owner of the bar, said he was alerted by some cleaners of a smell of smoke, even though no one could see a fire yet.
"It was out behind the back door," Partlo said of the blaze. "We knocked on everyone's doors and told everyone to get out."
While Partlo didn't want to speculate on the cause, he said it definitely wasn't a kitchen fire.
There are three 1-bedroom apartments above the bar, including the one where Partlo resides. His unit is unlivable, while the other two suffered smoke damage.
The bar will be closed likely for a month, he added. He'll know more after meeting with insurance agents today.
"There is going to be a lot of water damage," he said. "It started in the wall."
Partlo was in the building Monday, figuring out what is next. Every Buddy's Bar & Grill holds live music events most weekends and sometimes during the week, particularly if a nationally touring act is in the area. He figures he will have to cancel at least four or five shows; calling those acts was on his to-do list Monday.
"I will do everything I can to get it back open as soon as I can," Partlo said.
Partlo was frustrated not just for his workers, but the tenants in the building.
"Where do my tenants go, especially if I can't get power turned on for a long time?" he said.
Chippewa Falls attorney David Raihle owns one of the adjacent buildings. He stopped at the building Monday morning, saying it suffered some smoke damage.
"We were lucky (firefighters) were able to confine it as well as they did," Raihle said. "This is such an absolutely gut-wrenching experience."
Rita Rassbach works in Meinen Insurance Agency, with their wall next to the bar's wall. The agency was open for business as normal on Monday.
"We're okay, just a little smoke int he back," Rassbach said. "We've got a machine running. Lucky, lucky, lucky it happened during the day. There is a firewall between this (building) and the bar. It looks bad in the back. I'm so grateful it didn't spread to other buildings."
