A late-night fire which shuttered the Buckle and Tier Ultra Lounge has been deemed not suspicious by the Lloydminster Fire Department.
The blaze had taken place back on the night of June 3, after a report of smoke coming from the bar district was sent in to the Lloydminster Fire Department. When firefighters arrived on scene, they found a large amount of smoke coming from the roof of the building which housed the two businesses.
According to previous statements made by Lloydminster Fire Chief Jordan Newton, damage to the interior of the building was significant, with smoke and heat affecting the entirety of the structure. In the wake of the fire, the roof line of the building was sagged, with a number of trusses damaged and giving out.
A firm timeline on the re-opening of the businesses is not clear at the present time. However, the owners have said a cause has been found.
“From what the insurance company and the fire inspectors have told us, there were three neon lights plugged into a power bar, and the power bar shorted out,” said Mark Lindskog, the President and CEO of Bridge City Entertainment.
Lindskog said he has not been back on site at the businesses while cleanup is going on, and he and his business partner, Travis Quesnel, are waiting to hear back from their insurance agency before making any plans for restoration.
“As far as opening and rebuilding, we plan on doing it, but we don’t have a timeline, we don’t have pricing, we don’t have anything like that as of yet,” said Lindskog.
Reached on Friday, Newton said the file on the fire has now been closed, and it has been deemed non-suspicious.