VIDEO: Fire Destroys Blue Mound Tavern Between Altamont and St. Elmo

Fire destroyed the Blue Mound Tavern West of Altamont on Route 40 Friday morning.

The blaze, which Altamont Fire Chief Jon Becker said started on the west side of the building, quickly engulfed the majority of the structure.

At about 9:30 Friday morning, a motorist called to report smoke coming from the building, which local historian and Altamont native Kurt Becker told us has been a staple on Route 40 between Effingham and St. Elmo for more than 80 years.

No one was inside the building when firefighters arrived. Current owner Keith Howell told us at the scene that the bar was set to open at 11am Friday morning, after taking the day off Thursday to celebrate Christmas. Howell was visibly shaken by the loss of his business, telling us he was grateful no one was inside.

When fire crews arrived, they immediately called a full still, which was quickly upgraded to a box alarm as fire swept to the east side of the tavern, eventually collapsing the east wall completely. Mutual aid was drawn from Effingham, Shumway, Brownstown and St. Elmo and tanker trucks made multiple trips to St. Elmo and Altamont for additional water. Route 40 was shut down and traffic re-routed by police for nearly 3 hours from Route 128 to a half mile east of the tavern.

Chief Becker added that many remodels of the structure over the years had resulted in void spaces where fire was able to settle in to. Even as fire continued on the northwest side of the building, a backhoe was called in to begin clearing debris and eliminating the void spaces where fire persisted.

Chief Becker said the business is a total loss, and the State Fire Marshall's Office would investigate, as is customary in fires of this nature. The official cause of the fire has yet to be determined.

We asked Howell if he intends to rebuild the tavern, which Kurt Becker believes first began operating sometime in the 1930s upon the repeal of prohibition. Howell said, "I'm still in shock. It's too soon to know. I don't know."