THE SMALL, SOUTHERN WISCONSIN TOWN of Blanchardville (pop. 800) was rocked Monday morning after a fire in a town tavern killed four people. The old, 3-story brick commercial building housed the Silver Dollar Saloon on the ground floor and it was completely gutted as the fire burned up and through the roof. The third floor was vacant and the second floor had an employee’s lounge along with the owners’ apartment.
WMTV / Lewis
Killed in the fire were the bar’s co-owners, Daniel Hardekopf, 45, and his girlfriend, Jelayne Hughes, 44, along with their friend Cody Olson, 23, and bartender Brian Monte, 34. Three of the bodies were found on the second floor and the other, believed to be Hardekopf, was found on the first floor.
A police officer who was first on the scene says that when he got there, a man came running out of the bar screaming and then ran back inside. It appears that he was making an attempt to reach his friends trapped on the second floor where the fire is believed to have originated.
The main street of Blanchardville was closed yesterday because of the possibility of the building collapsing.
WISC-TV has the STORY HERE and has posted this video report:
