DETROIT (WWJ) – A three-alarm fire has destroyed a Detroit bar that has stood in Detroit for 75 years and been part of the LGBTQ community for three decades.
Detroit firefighters were called to the Woodward Bar along Woodward Avenue, just south of West Grand Boulevard around 11 a.m. in the New Center neighborhood.
Fire Chief James Harris says flames were shooting out of the building when firefighters showed up and they had to take a defensive stance as part of the building collapsed.
Jeff, the owner of the Woodward Bar, told WWJ’s Ryan Marshall he was devastated to learn it had been destroyed.
He said it appears the fire started in a unit on the roof of the bar, and he was surprised to see the fire was as bad as it was.
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He and fire officials believe the building is a total loss, though crews were still determining whether any part of the structure could be saved.
Jeff said a lot of history was lost in Tuesday's fire. He said the bar supported the LGBTQ community for the better part of three decades, and the community supported the bar through it all.
"A lot of mixed emotions right now. I'm sad," he said. "I'm just trying to determine at this point what my next step will be."
While firefighters had extinguished all the flames by 1 p.m., crews had been working to make sure the fire didn’t spread to neighboring buildings.
No one was inside the bar when it caught fire and no injuries were reported.
The QLine, which runs right by the bar, was shut down due to the fire and officials have not given any word on when service will resume. Officials said other DDOT operations would be rerouted away from the area.
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