FORT WORTH — A century-old building caught fire by the Fort Worth Stockyards Saturday night, sustaining severe damage and requiring an extensive response from firefighters around the area.
The fire was only put out after 15 fire engines, seven aerial ladders, and five chiefs responded to the call. They arrived at the scene around 8:15 p.m., according to the Fort Worth Fire Department (FWFD). The area was evacuated, and there were no injuries, authorities said.
The historic building at 124 W Exchange Ave was home to the Cantina Cadillac bar. The establishment has been temporarily closed, with the owner saying the bar had about 15 people inside when it was evacuated, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported.
“A broken gas line contributed to the fire making it difficult to contain,” FWFD said in a statement. “The crew immediately called for an alarm assignment bringing additional companies to the scene. Firefighters then proceeded to fight the fire that went to 3-alarms before it was declared under control after 2 long hours.”
“Several obstacles, including a poor water supply, traffic control and crowded parking lots hindering truck placement, all factored into fighting this fire. There were also hundreds of onlookers crowding the streets during a very busy Saturday night in the #stockyards,” FWFD continued.
A reporter for The Dallas Express caught a photo of the scene at 11 p.m., near the end of the firefighters’ two-hour ordeal.
Photo of the scene | Image by Patrick Hauf/The Dallas Express
FWFD said it received help from the River Oaks Fire Department, Saginaw, Sansom Park Fire Department, and City of Lake Worth Fire Department.
The 40-year owner of Cantina Cadillac, Jay Hester, said he hopes to renovate the bar and reopen it in six months.
“It’s better than I thought it was going to be,” Hester said, per the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “I thought it was going to be a total loss.
“We were here before the Stockyards was popular,” he said. “It was kind of like the wild west.”
