April 11--A Tombstone gunfight theater and apartment were destroyed in a fire Thursday, but firefighters prevented the blaze from spreading through the historic town.
The blaze broke out shortly after 4 p.m. -- about 10 minutes after the final show at the Old West Theatre studio ended, said Tombstone Marshal Jeff Mitchell.
"The fire wiped a business off the map. There is significant damage -- in the thousands of dollars -- but we are glad no one was injured," Mitchell said. "The bleachers, facades for the shows and the stage areas are gone."
Some 50 firefighters battled the blaze and did mop-up work into the night at the corner of Fifth and Toughnut streets. It's the same spot where Six Gun City burned down four years ago, said Mitchell. Six Gun City housed a restaurant and also operated gunfight shows.
Arson investigators were expected to work through the night to determine the cause of Thursday's fire, Mitchell said.
Copyright 2014 - The Arizona Daily Star, Tucson
