CASTLE ROCK – Firefighters were able to quickly put out a two-alarm fire on Tuesday afternoon after it broke out in an historic building in the center of town.
The Castle Rock Fire Department says the fire was in the ceiling of the Next Door Bar at the building located at 4th and Wilcox.
The building was built in the 1800s.
Joseph Blackstone was staying in one of the residences above the café when he says he smelled smoke. Blackstone also works in the café and thought they were just smoking meats.
"My manager came upstairs, knocked on our door and told us to get out," said Blackstone.
Blackstone says he believed the fire was due to some sort of electrical problem.
"They said they had to cut a hole into the floor and hose it down with water," he said.
Castle Rock Fire Chief Art Morales says the fire started just before 1 p.m.
He says no one was injured and everyone was evacuated safely.
"This is one of those fires that we have that minutes would have made a huge difference," said Morales. "With older buildings like this, there's a lot of potential for rapid fire spread."
The building was originally home to the Castle Hotel and Bar, a gathering place for quarry workers, ranchers and travelers during the 1890s. The bar's Web site says in those days, the bar was one of the wildest in the area.
The Web site goes on to say:
"Although reports of shootouts were not confirmed, brawls were so common that Douglas County was forced to hire an extra deputy to patrol on paydays. The deputy was also responsible for restraining inebriated cowboys from riding their horses through the bar. Around 1910, The Castle Hotel and Cafe became the stopover for travelers between Denver and Colorado Springs. A dance hall was built over the bar and served as a community center during the roaring 20s, depressing 30s and early 40s."
"It's one of our community assets," said Morales.
The Castle Rock Fire Department says the fire was in the ceiling of the Next Door Bar at the building located at 4th and Wilcox.
The building was built in the 1800s.
Joseph Blackstone was staying in one of the residences above the café when he says he smelled smoke. Blackstone also works in the café and thought they were just smoking meats.
"My manager came upstairs, knocked on our door and told us to get out," said Blackstone.
Blackstone says he believed the fire was due to some sort of electrical problem.
"They said they had to cut a hole into the floor and hose it down with water," he said.
Castle Rock Fire Chief Art Morales says the fire started just before 1 p.m.
He says no one was injured and everyone was evacuated safely.
"This is one of those fires that we have that minutes would have made a huge difference," said Morales. "With older buildings like this, there's a lot of potential for rapid fire spread."
The building was originally home to the Castle Hotel and Bar, a gathering place for quarry workers, ranchers and travelers during the 1890s. The bar's Web site says in those days, the bar was one of the wildest in the area.
The Web site goes on to say:
"Although reports of shootouts were not confirmed, brawls were so common that Douglas County was forced to hire an extra deputy to patrol on paydays. The deputy was also responsible for restraining inebriated cowboys from riding their horses through the bar. Around 1910, The Castle Hotel and Cafe became the stopover for travelers between Denver and Colorado Springs. A dance hall was built over the bar and served as a community center during the roaring 20s, depressing 30s and early 40s."
"It's one of our community assets," said Morales.
