Fire destroys vacant bar in Forest Hill

Authorities are continuing to investigate the cause of a fire that destroyed a vacant Forest Hill bar Monday morning.

Forest Hill firefighters were called to the former Roadhouse bar at 5300 Mansfield Highway about 5:17 a.m. by an employee of a neighboring business, said interim Fire Chief Randy Chapman.

“When firefighters arrived on scene, they found heavy smoke in the interior,” Chapman said. “They had to force entry.”

Chapman said firefighters tried to gain access to the building’s attic, where the fire originated, but were ordered to evacuate the building after the fire broke through the roof.

“Shortly thereafter the roof collapsed,” he said.

The fire was brought under control shortly after 9 a.m. The Fort Worth Fire Department assisted in battling the blaze.

Though no damage estimates were available Monday afternoon, Chapman said the building was a total loss.

He said the Tarrant County Fire Marshal is investigating the cause of the blaze.

This story was originally published December 29, 2014 at 2:07 PM with the headline "Fire destroys vacant bar in Forest Hill."