Fire destroys Main Street bar in Janesville, Minnesota

JANESVILLE, Minn. (KMSP) - An early morning fire on Main Street in downtown Janesville, Minnesota destroyed a bar and damaged a neighboring butcher shop.

Nobody was injured in the blaze, officials said, with everyone out of both buildings at the time the fire started. 

The original call came about 3:30 a.m. Wednesday, destroyed the Dog House Bar and Grill and damaged Wiste's Meat Market next door. Sections of the Dog House roof came down in the fire, and are making it difficult to determine the building's safety, inspectors said.

Firefighters from five departments fought the Main Street fire, and worked through subzero temperatures that ranged from -5 to -18 during the response.

"It was a hard fire, as cold as it was [overnight]," Janesville Fire Chief Mark Spitzack said. "Things just don't work great--water freezes, pumps freeze up. It's certainly not a fun day."

The fire is still under investigation, and crews will remain on scene to monitor the scene and deal with any flare-ups that may occur.

Janesville is located midway between Mankato and Waseca on Highway 14 in south central Minnesota.