Downtown St. Cloud's Press Bar Declared Total Loss After Devastating Fire
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A popular bar and night club in St. Cloud has been destroyed by an overnight fire that burned for hours.
According to the St. Cloud Fire Department, the fire was reported at 2:41 a.m. Monday at the The Press Bar and Parlor, located at 502 St. Germain St. W.
Fire officials say the fire is being fought in a defensive mode, with all firefighters removed from the building and fighting the fire from the outside.
"Shortly after we pulled out, the entire building went up on the inside. We had a partial collapse of the building," St. Cloud fire battalion chief Jerry Raymond said.
At one point, Raymond said fire crews were putting 6,000 gallons of water on the building every minute.
Shortly before noon, crews began tearing down the building in order to fully extinguish the fire.
The Press Bar in St. Cloud. Crews are putting out hotspots and they are slowly beginning to tear down the building. @WCCO #wcco pic.twitter.com/C01E8oPPe6
— John Lauritsen (@JDLauritsen) February 17, 2020
Adjacent buildings are also being monitored for fire extension.
There have been no reported injuries.
On Monday afternoon, The Press Bar released a statement:
"We would like to thank our St. Cloud Fire Department, St. Cloud Police department and all other first responders who assisted with the devastating fire that broke out at The Press Bar early this morning. We are thankful that no one was in the building at the time of the fire. We've gained many great employees, friends and memories there over the years. We appreciate your thoughts and prayers."
The exact cause of the fire is not known at this time, but is being investigated.