-- Authorities say firefighters are starting to leave the scene of what was a massive fire in Dodgeville, after 18 agencies were called out to help put out the flames. The fire started around 4:30 p.m. Wednesday at Barn 23, a restaurant on Highway 23 in the town of Dodgeville. Iowa County Emergency Management officials tell 27 News the restaurant has been closed down since the beginning of the year, but it's connected by a tunnel to the Don Q Inn hotel. Workers and people staying at the hotel Wednesday night had to be evacuated. More than 50 firefighters were at the scene at one point. Trucks had to drive back and forth hauling water to douse the building. "This is actually outside the Dodgeville city limits, so there's no fire hydrants out here, so they're actually running back into town to fill with water and then coming back here and filling tanks, large tanks that hold water, and the engines that are fighting the fire will pull water out of those tanks to put the fire out, so the tenders are just keeping water supply to the firefighting engines on the scene and keeping the firefighters fighting that fire," says Emergency Management Director Keith Hurlbert. Dustin Yanochik stopped by to see the damage as firefighters worked to put out the flames. His great uncle Don Quinn built the barn and his family is devastated. He says he heard about the fire on Facebook.
"It's just so heartbreaking," Yanochik tells 27 News. "It's been a huge part of my family for years and I came out here every chance I got and spent time here and brought everybody I knew here and it's just such a loss."
Authorities say it's still to early to know how the fire started as crews are still working to get the situation under control. Dodgeville firefighters are expected to stay through the night to monitor the fire, but other departments called out to help have started leaving the area.
********UPDATE (WKOW) -- Multiple fire agencies have been called to a massive structure fire at 3656 State Rd 23, near the Don Q Inn.
Guests and hotel personnel at the neighboring inn have been evacuated as a precaution, and Highway 23 has been closed off due to heavy smoke; traffic is being rerouted onto Rowe Road.
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DODGEVILLE (WKOW) -- Fire crews are responding to a structure fire at the Barn 23 restaurant on Hwy 23 in Dodgeville.
Traffic is backed up; emergency management crews are asking the public to find an alternate route, and avoid the area.
For more information go to WKOW: http://www.wkow.com/story/34578792/2017/02/22/fire-crews-responding-to-fire-at-barn-23-on-hwy-23-in-dodgeville