KENOSHA — A Kenosha neighborhood tavern was heavily damaged in a fast-moving overnight fire on Sunday — leaving residents displaced and a community mourning the potential loss of a longtime gathering place.
The Kenosha Fire Department was dispatched to the Kenosha Beer Gardens, 3501 14th Avenue, at approximately 12:34 a.m. Sunday, after reports of a structure fire with possible occupants trapped inside. When crews arrived, they found the two-story mixed-use building with a large volume of fire showing.
Watch: Neighbor mourns loss of Kenosha tavern after devastating Sunday fire
Firefighters initiated an aggressive attack on the blaze, but fire had spread into void spaces in the ceiling of the bar and restaurant area, forcing crews to switch to a defensive attack. The fire was not marked under control until 3:30 a.m. — nearly three hours after it started. The building suffered significant damage to the bar and restaurant area.
All occupants had self-evacuated before fire crews arrived on scene. No civilians or firefighters were injured.
People living in the upstairs apartments were able to escape the burning building. A family member of one resident was on scene Sunday helping retrieve the rest of his family's belongings from the damaged building.
For neighbors like David Swartz, who lives next door, the fire hit close to home — in more ways than one.
"I heard the sirens, looked out and I could see the flames right out my kitchen window. I knew right away it was probably the Beer Gardens," Swartz said.
Swartz has been coming to the Kenosha Beer Gardens since he was a child — and says the loss goes far beyond just a building.
"It's always been the neighborhood corner bar. I remember being able to go in and have a Pepsi and a Slim Jim when I was a kid with my dad. It's gonna be another loss to the area here," he said.
Despite the damage, Swartz is holding out hope and says the community will show up for those affected.
"Hopefully they can rebuild. There's some people displaced in the apartments too. I see some people organizing a fundraiser — there'll be a big outreach from the community, cause that's what we do," Swartz said.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation. We reached out to the owners of the Kenosha Beer Gardens for comment on the extent of the damage and whether they plan to rebuild.
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