Flames Take Garden City Establishment, Firefighters Search For Cause

GARDEN CITY (WWJ) Investigators in Garden City are trying to pinpoint the cause of an overnight fire that damaged a bar along Ford Road.

From the scene, WWJ's Mike Campbell said, "This fire was hot."

The blaze erupted at about 2 a.m. Friday at Bar 153, a sports bar and grill on Ford Road and Merriman. It was under control by about 5 a.m.

No one was inside at the time and the fire was contained to the single building.

Garden City Fire Chief Catherine Harmon said even experienced firefighters found it was a difficult blaze to knock down.

"They got in about 15 feet, it was too hot, they pulled back and just started hitting it from the outside, knocked the fire down quite a bit and then they were able to gain entry," Harmon said. "They kept an eye on the roof with the aerial apparatus, so the structural integrity wasn't compromised. They made a couple holes, released some of the hot gas and heat.

"Now they're inside hitting some hot spots and trying to determine cause and origin."