BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Buffalo fire crews were called to a massive fire at The Old Pink on Allen Street in Buffalo's Allentown neighborhood Monday morning.
Crews responded to the two-alarm fire just before 6:00 a.m.
7 News has learned no one was in the building at the time and there were no injuries. When crews arrived workers were leaving the bar.
In the video below, you can see construction crews knock down what's left of The Old Pink.
Watch below for a seven-minute live report from the site of The Old Pink hours after it went up in flames.
The Buffalo Division Fire Chief Paul Graham said that the fire started in the back of the building and when crews arrived it was just heavy smoke at first but the fire quickly grew and it made it difficult to put out since they weren’t able to fight it from inside.
The building was deemed a complete and total loss. Investigators say damage is estimated at $1.25 million. An emergency demolition was ordered for the building and it was demolished Monday afternoon.
The Old Pink shared a statement on their Instagram Story. It says, "Thank you all for the love and support. Today was a devastating day for our staff, our community, and the Brinkworth family. The Old Pink is currently being torn down and by the end of the day, will be gone completely. Please come by the site and mourn with us. Our legacy will live on through you."
A GoFundMe has also been created to help raise money for the family business. On Monday night, the community showed up to what's left of The Old Pink for a candlelight vigil.
Watch the full interview above with Nicholas Stilb, co-manager at The Old Pink. He says the bar was like family.
Allentown property owner: "I don't know what you can say about The Old Pink. Like, it's iconic. It's an institution in Buffalo. To many people it's like a home. Not just people know but people decades ago used to come here all the time so it's a big loss if they can't rebuild it."
Alexandria Brocato: "It was such a landmark and just a staple in Allentown. It made Allentown, Allentown. It was a place you could go and feel accepted and be welcomed. It didn't matter who you were, what you wear, what you look like, you would just feel accepted."
Darnell Jones: "It's going to be sad. This is a very popular bar. When I first moved over here all you heard about was this bar. It's a very significant bar for this neighborhood."
Eric Vanrysdam: "My heart is broken. It was more than a job. It was a community of people. All walks of life walked through this door. It had its reputation. But it's really a sense of family."
Aleta Wilbon: "It was like family. Everybody comes. I meet different people. We all are upset."
Romaine Arrington: "It's kind of messed up, you know. It's one of the popular bars in Allentown."
