From WOOD TV 8:
ROCKFORD, Mich. (WOOD) — Firefighters are keeping their distance as the battle an hours long fire at the iconic Corner Bar in Rockford.
Rockford fire chief Dave Jones said the roof and second floor of the building at 31 N. Main Street collapsed because of the gas-fueled fire. An excavator could be scene clearing remnants of the building’s back corner early Monday afternoon.
“This is like a family member that’s been here for 70 years. And you can’t talk to anybody that’s visited Rockford and not been to the Corner Bar. Of course it’s a tragic loss for us,” Jones said.
The fire chief said the flames started in a dumpster behind the business around 5 a.m. Monday. While crews had that fire knocked down within about 5 to 10 minutes, Jones said it appears heat and pressure from the fire caused the gas meter to explode about a half hour later.
Jones said firefighters were working in the basement just before that gas main exploded, sending flames through the west side of the building.
“We’re very, very happy and luckily they were able to get out of the building before that explosion,” said Jones, who added no one has been injured.
Jones said Monday morning that the building was “extensively” damaged and the west side wall was buckling. Crews worked to keep the flames in check from outside the building because it was too dangerous to go inside.
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