An early morning fire Tuesday, September 8, 2015, destroyed the popular saloon that billed itself as the “world’s largest biker bar”.
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No word on rebuilding or where the series will be shot.
The fire remains under investigation. The indoor/outdoor bar includes several large stages, a burn-out pit, a tattoo parlor, zip lines, a wrestling ring, restaurants, dozens of stores, hundreds of cabins for rent, and parking for thousands of motorcycles. “We came around to the front-side garage doors on the north side of the building and cut a hole in it to make entry to the building”. Reports say there was an estimated 500 gallons of grain alcohol in the building.
No injuries have been reported as a result of the fire. By 12:45 a.m., the fire was through the roof. The establishment has no major water source as water is trucked in and stored in holding tanks adding to the difficulty of knocking down the flames.
Saloon employee Dean Mauldin, who was looking over the smoldering wreckage Tuesday morning, said it gave him a sick feeling, according to the Argus Leader. Sturgis Police Chief Jim Bush said this year’s rally may have been the biggest in history.
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Michael Ballard has owned the bar for the past 10 years and operated it with his wife Angie.
