Firefighters work to control a fire at the Royal Hotel that broke out Friday morning in downtown Medicine Hat. - NEWS PHOTO COLLIN GALLANT
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There were tears in more than a few beers on Friday after the Royal Hotel in downtown Medicine Hat was badly damaged in a fire that broke out morning and led to the collapse of the 120-year old watering hole in the late afternoon.
Firefighters arrived on the scene at about 8:30 a.m., responding to smoke, and pumped water into the building for hours over the morning as thick smoke plumed from the front facing South Railway Street.
By noon, with smoke increasing and flames visible on the roof, fire officials said they were working to protect adjoining buildings, and by late afternoon the oldest portion of the one-time hotel was gone.
“It’s a tragedy to lose a building like this – once they’re gone you can never get them back,” said Aaron Nelson, the head of the city’s community development agency.
He told the News that Saturday’s planned “Together Again” festival would move forward with whatever changes were necessary to accommodate the fire department’s cleanup on Saturday. Most events are focused further west on First Street.
Ryan Jackson is a spokesman for the investors group that owns the building and the adjoining Compass Business Centre next door.
That was also threatened by the fire and potential water, and Jackson said his hope was the fire department could limit damage, but the outlook for the Royal was not good.
He expressed sympathy for Royal operator, Lynn Palmer, who was leasing the space.
“It’s almost three years to the day since she took over,” said Jackson.
“She got it through COVID. And now this.”
The original two-story building dates to 1904, and the building’s size was doubled with a brick addition in 1912. Those were joined at the front, be separated at the back creating a narrow courtyard.
The bar billed itself as “Medicine Hat’s Classiest Dive Bar,” promoting acts and drop-in jam sessions for local rockers and live music fans, cold beer for the thirsty and an unassuming menu for all.
Onlookers in the downtown core on Friday, told reporters that it would be missed.
Sources told the News was a fire that started in the basement of the structure that was only used as a bar and music venue. No one was living at the building.
Heavy smoke blew east across the down-ramp to the First Avenue underpass, through the rail yard and in to the North River Flats. Traffic was diverted for most of the day, and power was briefly cut to the block as utility crews isolated the building.
Fire crews poured water into second-storey side windows, or holes for air conditioning units made larger with axes. Overhead ladders soaked the roof, and adjoining walls in the business block were billowing smoke as pumper trucks sprayed down from above.
Fire crews pumped water into windows for several hours and were still working in heavy smoke at 10:45 a.m.
That continued until the fire flared again around noon, and flames broke through the roof.
“The Royal building is probably a lose at the end of the day, but we’re working to save the Compass Building,” said deputy Fire Chief Chad Eakins at noon.
“Conditions changed quite rapidly. The fire was concealed in the walls – it’s old timber construction – and quite a heavy fire load on the second floor. The fire’s through the roof now, and we had the first floor collapse into the basement.”
