La Crosse firefighters weren’t about to enter TD’s on Fourth on Sunday morning with heavy fire coming from the front door engulfing the first floor.

“We went defensive right away because fire was blowing out the door,” said Mark Amann, La Crosse Fire Department division chief. “It was not safe for us to go in.”

La Crosse Fire Department personnel work to extinguish the remnants of an early morning fire at TD’s on Fourth Sunday at Fourth.and Mississippi Streets. PETER THOMSON photo

Nineteen firefighters fought the blaze, which was brought under control more than two hours after it was reported at 5:19 a.m.

The fire was still smoldering Sunday morning and a bulldozer was called to tear down the front of the bar so fire department investigators could go inside the building. An investigator from the State Fire Marshal’s office and fire department investigators looked through the rubble Sunday afternoon.

The blaze destroyed the vacant, condemned bar building at Fourth and Mississippi streets.

“We’re looking through everything, and have not ruled out anything for a cause yet,” said Jeff Brohmer, La Crosse Fire Department division chief of inspection.

“We’re still looking for clues, and we may not know a cause for a few days,” he said. “We’ll keep our options open.”

Brohmer said the city’s inspection department had condemned the building. He said the bar had not been opened for business since last September.

La Crosse police detectives also are working on the investigation, he said. Brohmer said hose lines and equipment were set up to protect a house north of the bar. The house received some water damage.

The fire trucks awoke neighbors, including Kevin Voigt, who lives a block away and first saw the firefighters setting up to fight the fire.

“Flames were coming out of the building, and then spread to all sides,” Voigt said. “There was a lot of smoke. It was a hot fire.”

Neighbors said a lot of fireworks had been shot off in the area Saturday night.

Fourth Street had been blocked at Mississippi Street for about eight hours, and vehicles were rerouted to Jackson Street, but the road was opened early Sunday afternoon.

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