More details about the fire that destroyed Rascals

JAMESTOWN, NY-- Rascal's Brass Rail, one of two gay bars in Jamestown, was destroyed by a fire that started at 2:02 AM, Saturday June 11, shortly after last call. Firefighters arrived at the scene to find heavy smoke billowing from the roof, fire on the first and second floors and people rushing to get to safety. A 911 call made by a bartender in the North Main Street building brought firefighters to the scene. "At the time we arrived, there was heavy smoke pushing out of the roof line,'' said Battalion Chief Chet Harvey, Jamestown Fire Department.

The Jamestown Post Journal reported "We could see fire on the first floor on the northwest corner of the building and fire showing on the second floor in the rear-middle of the building. By 6 AM., the fire was under control, but it had destroyed the building. There are still burning coals there this Saturday afternoon.'' The building holds two addresses — 701 and 705 N. Main — and belongs to Glenn Hamilton.

No injuries were reported from any of the patrons in the bars. When fire fighters arrived, an employee said everyone had escaped the fire. Local authorities had not yet determined the cause of the fire.

``We made a pretty good attack on the first floor, but the fire spread too quickly and we had to pull our fire fighters out,'' Harvey said. ``When that happened, we worked from the outside and just tried to protect the buildings next to the fire. The building collapsed while we were fighting the fire. About half of the building was still standing and the owner arranged for a contractor to take the walls down today because we were still concerned that the wall would collapse onto the joining property.''

Twenty men fought the fire while 12 additional fire fighters covered other calls that came in at the same time as the fire on North Main Street. Power was cut to businesses nearby and repairs are being made. Jamestown fire fighters are continuing their investigation.

—-reprinted from Outcome.com (Buffalo NY)