Full Throttle Saloon Burns to the Ground
One of Sturgis’ largest attractions, the Full Throttle Saloon, burned to the ground after fire crews spent an inordinate amount of time attempting to control the blaze. The bar, billed as the world’s largest biker bar, engulfed in flames right around 12:30 am Tuesday morning.
According to the fire department, the crews responded to a call about smoke coming out of the roof from a passer-by who informed a convenience store clerk about what they had saw. The fire was so hot that it forced firefighters away from the building, which meant they couldn’t get into it to truly fight the fire. Add to that a strong wind that kept fueling the fire, and there was little the fire department could do but control the spread of the blazing fire.
The building succumbed to the fire by 3 am. Thankfully, no one was injured, and Emmitt, the bar’s donkey mascot was also saved. What isn’t known yet is how the fire began, which remains under investigation at the time of this writing.
Photo credit to Sturgis Fire Department