LOUISVILLE, Ky. --
A massive fire ripped through the attic of a neighborhood bar in south Louisville, destroying it and damaging a business nearby.
The fire started at about 3:30 a.m. Tuesday at Fibber's Tavern in the 8100 block of Preston Highway.
The tavern's owner, as well as firefighters, call it somewhat of a landmark on Okolona.
Luckily, no one was inside when the fire started, but officials have deemed the building a total loss.
"It's devastating to get in and see something like that. I don't know what we're going to do," said Charles Logsdon, owner of Fibber's.
For Logsdon, better known as "Skip" to the patrons he served, taking in the scene wasn't easy.
"By the time I got here, the roof was already caved in. It was a pretty big fire," Logsdon said.
Logsdon has owned Fibber's for 16 years.
"It's a landmark. The guy who built the business -- it's known. People all over the U.S. come here," Logsdon said.
Fire officials said both the bar and the building have stood in Okolona for decades.
All that was left standing Tuesday morning were the walls and a few charred chairs still inside.
"It was pretty much a light show. We couldn't get near the front of the building due to the electrical wires down," said Okolona Fire Marshal Mike Allendorf.
Allendorf said the blaze started near the back of the building in the attic, and crews spent the morning trying to figure out why.
"The only things up in that area would be heating, air equipment and electrical wiring," Allendorf said.
Logsdon said he will likely rebuild, but for now he's without his business, his employees are without their jobs and a place known by so many in Okolona is gone.
"It's a neighborhood bar. They come in, it's like family. You get to know people for that long, it's just like family," Logsdon said.
It took about 60 firefighters from five departments about 25 minutes to get the fire under control.
One firefighter was taken to the hospital with a twisted knee.
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