See the fire damage

EAGLE -- A fire last night destroyed the Halfway Saloon off Highway 16 in Eagle.

Fire crews from Ada and Gem county arrived on scene and saw heavy smoke coming from the saloon with flames in the back.

The two people inside the business made it out safely.

"The heat and smoke and flames just destroyed everything inside," said Star Fire Chief Kevin Courtney.

Investigators went back to the saloon this morning and determined that the fire was started some faulty electrical wiring in a bathroom in the back of the building. The wiring sparked the fire which gutted the saloon.

Inside was a lot of musical equipment including a drum set, guitar and some recording equipment. All of that was lost in the fire.

Dan Michaels is a friend on the bar's manager, Lynn Haakonstad, who was living there. He says about the only this salvagable were some DVDs.

He hopes to get together with some local business owners and organize a benefit for his friend. No word yet on when that might happen.

According to the owner, the building was built is 1969 and is registered as a historic landmark. It is too soon to say if the owners plan to rebuild.