Former Dead End Saloon Catches Fire

Editor Denise Lockwood wrote this story.

Firefighters from Caledonia, South Shore and Raymond responded Friday to calls of a fire at Burgey's Pub & Prime, formerly the Dead End Saloon, located at 8619 E. Frontage Rd.

No one was injured. However, the bar had only been open a week, said owner Kevin Burgey.

Bar manager Lori Zalewski said she noticed the smell of smoke at about 2:20 p.m. About five people were inside the bar at the time.

"One of the customers went outside to look and he came back in and said, 'Your building is on fire,'" Zalewski said, adding that she called 911. Everyone left the building immediately and when they got out, they saw smoke and flames pouring from the attic area of the building near where the neon signs connected to the building.

Initially, however, firefighters were dispatched to another tavern, Mugsy's Saloon in Mount Pleasant, said battalion chief Jeff Henningfeld, of the Caledonia Fire Department.

The person that owns Mugsy's used to own the building Burgey's is in, he said.

"So the Southshore Fire Department went out there, but the call got corrected to the old Dead End Saloon," Henningfeld said.

When they arrived, they had to call in firefighters from Racine, Oak Creek and Franklin as well. Firefighters knocked out the building quickly.

"We don't have a cause of this fire or know the extent of damages at this time," Henningfeld said.