Under control Volunteer firefighters with the Pillager Area Fire Department worked for at least two hours Feb. 22, after a fire broke out in the attic at KC Employees of KC’s Saloon in Pillager don’t know when they’ll be able to get back to work, after an attic fire damaged the bar the morning of Feb. 22.

“It’s devastating for the whole community,” said Alisa Barnum, a bartender at KC’s. “We’re like family here.”

The fire was reported at approximately 9:38 a.m., said Pillager Fire Chief Randy Lee. Firefighters from the Pillager Area Fire Department were at the scene shortly after that; and the Brainerd Fire Dept. was called for mutual aid.

“We thought we could put it out ourselves,” said Kim Gibbs, who has owned KC’s for the past seven years.

According to Kim, a few employees had been working in the bar prior to the day’s opening when they noticed some smoke.

“Dewey (Johnson), our maintenance guy was cleaning in the kitchen at that time,” Kim said, adding that she had jokingly asked him what he had cooking on the stove.

Bar owner Kim Gibbs (right), owner of KC It all happened so quickly, Kim said; but she and the other employees soon realized that the smoke and flames were coming from the ceiling. One of the staff was able to call 911; and Kim said when she walked outside to the alley, she was relieved to see Fire Chief Lee arrive shortly after.

She can’t afford to be shut down, Kim says, watching as firefighters start packing up their equipment.

“We’ve been working so hard on this place,” she says. “We had just replaced the ceiling above the pool table; and we’re in the process of replacing the hard wood floors.”

There weren’t any injuries, Kim is grateful to report. Yes, it could have been much worse, she says.

There was not a lot

of damage on the main

floor, Fire Chief Lee said. “They’ll probably need to

replace some carpet and ceiling tiles, but other than that, there wasn’t a lot of damage.”

Fire Chief Lee said that the fire is suspected to have been caused by an electrical malfunction in the attic area.