Ranchmans Set on Fire!

[Shakesthecoffecan]

Thanks to Mouk for sending this to me:

Man arrested at nearby junkyard
Ranchmans Bar

Attempted arson at Ranchmans Bar

A Calgary man, Billy Quinn, is facing an arson charge after allegedly attempting to burn down Ranchmans Bar early on the morning of Sunday, April 8.

Early in the evening, on a busy Saturday night at Ranchman’s Bar on Macleod Trail, Billy Quinn was allegedly kicked out of the premises for causing a disturbance.  He was ejected from the bar at around 9 p.m., and left the area without incident.

Later, at around 2 a.m., police allege Quinn came back to the bar.  He made his way to the bar’s north side double door, allegedly with a gas can in hand.  He then allegedly poured the contents onto the building’s wood siding, doors and sidewalk and then lit the gas on fire.

There were an estimated 650-700 people inside the bar at the time of the alleged arson.  The fire was started at the main exit of the bar which could have lead to disastrous consequences, trapping innocent people inside Ranchmans Bar.  Fortunately, the fire was quickly put out by bar staff who were able to douse the blaze with buckets of water.

After allegedly starting the fire, the suspect, Billy Sean Quinn, of Calgary fled the parking lot of the bar on foot.  He caught the attention of two uniformed Calgary Police officers who were in the area at the time of the fire.  The two officers chased the suspect on foot and were assisted by HAWCS Helicopter and Police Canine units.

Billy Quinn was caught by police hiding in a nearby junkyard.  Billy Sean Quinn has been charged with one count of arson with disregard for human life.

http://beaconnews.ca/calgary/2012/04/fire-deliberately-set-at-ranchmans-bar-with-almost-700-people-inside/

[Penthesilea]

 

There were an estimated 650-700 people inside the bar at the time of the alleged arson.  The fire was started at the main exit of the bar which could have lead to disastrous consequences, trapping innocent people inside Ranchmans Bar.  

 

I'm a bit speechless. Arson is bad enough, but this, trapping people inside while setting a building on fire, is beyond anything I want to imagine. This was set up for a huge catastrophy. I'm glad it could be averted.






Thanks, Mouk and Tru, for letting us know.

Thanks to Mouk for sending this to me:

Coincidentally, Ranchmans is where I first met Mouk in person.

[Jeff Wrangler]

Hangin's too good for someone who would deliberately set fire to a building with 700 people inside it. 

[Sason]

What Chrissi said.

The staff putting out the fire were able to avoid a major catastrophy, kudos to them!

It's beyond my imagination how someone could possibly get into their (pissed off....drunk...insane...) head to take their
revenge out on innocent people.


1998 we had a catastrophy like this in Gothenburg here in Sweden. An illegal disco in an abandoned warehouse, a couple of 18-19 year olds were refused entrance, and so they set fire to the emergency exit as revenge.
63 teens between 12 and 18 died in the flames. Some of them were siblings.
Of the survivors and injured, about 50 had severe burns, and were flown to burns units at hospitals all over Scandinavia, Sweden didn't have enough hospital beds for them.




The memorial for the victims

[Sason]

I'm relieved a similar catastrophy was avoided in Calgary.

[Meryl]

Yipes, I'm so happy that disaster was averted!  Sonia, that story about Gothenburg is beyond tragic.  What a horrible, stupid, evil act.

[Sason]

Yes, it's hard to believe.

It was a national trauma here.

[southendmd]

Yikes, that's unthinkable, Sonja.

As for Ranchman's, those of us who have been there, know how scary that scene could have been.  Good work on the part of the staff with their buckets.

[CellarDweller]

Wow.  I can't believe that someone would start a fire at a bar while people were in there.  Sonja, your story is so horrible.

It reminds me of a similar incident here, the fire wasn't due to arson, but to carelessness.

On February 20, 2003, The Station Nightclub in Rhode Island was hosting a show by Great White, a band that had been popular in the late 80s.  About 40 seconds into the group's opening song, pyrotechnics placed onstage were ignited, and they set fire to the flammable sound insulation foam in the walls and ceilings surrounding the stage. A fast-moving fire engulfed the club in 5½ minutes.  100 people were killed in the fire, some 230 people were injured and another 132 escaped uninjured.

[Mandy21]

I can't think of many worse ways to die.  What a blessing all those innocent folks were saved from an unimaginable nightmare.

Forgive me for not knowing, but what's the significance of this bar in terms of Brokeback?

[ifyoucantfixit]

    Someone correct me if I am wrong here.  Mandy, --i think that is the site of the bar, where Jack had the talk with the bartender, and the rodeo clown, in the movie.  I think that all the people that went to the Alberta meet, met there, for a get together.  And some of them even rode one of those mechanical bulls..There are photos here somewhere...

[CellarDweller]

Hiya Janice & Mandy.

Unless I'm remembering incorrectly, Ranchman's is the location where they filmed the "What are you waitin' for cowboy, a matin' call?" scene.

[Shakesthecoffecan]

    Someone correct me if I am wrong here.  Mandy, --i think that is the site of the bar, where Jack had the talk with the bartender, and the rodeo clown, in the movie.  I think that all the people that went to the Alberta meet, met there, for a get together.  And some of them even rode one of those mechanical bulls..There are photos here somewhere...

Yes, this is where Jack and Lureen met, but the scene with Jimbo the rodeo clown was filmed at another bar called the King Eddie, it was in an old hotel "The King Edward" which later closed but I heard it was being redone and was going to reopen.

[Mandy21]

Groovy, thanks for the answers and trivia, gang.  I'll look at the background more closely (as opposed to Jack's piercing eyes) at my next viewing.