The owner of a Pearl Street tavern impacted by a Monday fire in downtown La Crosse credited firefighters with staving off a major disaster.
Eric Fortney, who owns Brother's Bar and several other properties on the block, said the quick action of the La Crosse Fire Department likely saved an entire half block of buildings.
"They deserve medals," Fortney said. "It was their quick reaction time that saved the building. We were minutes away from losing that whole half block. Their response time was almost a miracle."
Nobody was inside Brother's when the fire started. Fortney said Brother's was operating on limited hours and isn't open Mondays due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite smoke and water damage, he hopes the business can re-open this weekend.