Fire Ravages Uptown Butte Bar Sunday, May 04, 2008 (21:31:39) Posted by editor Fire ravaged part of an Uptown Butte watering hole Friday morning, and destroyed eight motorcycles parked inside. The flames, reported about 8:30 a.m. at the Party Palace bar, 2 W. Park St., in the heart of Uptown Butte, gutted the west end of the building. Fire officials don't believe the blaze was arson-caused, but are continuing their investigation into its origin, said Jeff Miller, director, Butte-Silver Bow Fire Department. Miller said the building's owners, Ted Deshner and his wife, Julie, who were inside when the fire started, escaped uninjured. Miller said it hasn't been determined if the bikes caused the fire, but he said they contributed to the fire. ''With all those motorcycles in there, it added to the fuel load,'' Miller said. Seven Harley-Davidsons and a Honda were destroyed, authorities said. Don Jipp lost two Harley Davidson motorcycles in the blaze. ''They were all brand new,'' Jipp said, standing on Main Street as firefighters doused the bar. The bikes were parked in the Party Palace for safekeeping should their owners not be able to drive home after they'd been drinking, Jipp said. ''When we get drunk, Ted (Deshner) has a policy that we don't ride because he looks out for his patrons,'' he said. Jipp added he found out about the fire from a friend who was listening to a scanner. He was in the shower, but quickly got himself ready and arrived at the scene. ''I was naked when I got the call,'' he told a reporter. Several motorcycle riders wearing black leather jackets were consoling and hugging each other outside the bar Friday morning. Responding firefighters contained the fire to the western part of the building, but Miller said the front bar sustained substantial damage. ''The on-duty crew did a hell of a job,'' Miller said. Though located in the center of Uptown Butte's nationally known historic district, the building in which the Party Palace is located is not considered historically significant. The one-story, wood frame structure had undergone several remodeling jobs over the years. It's located next to the famous M&M Cigar Store, and across an alley from the historically significant Curtis Music Hall building. Neither of those buildings was damaged by the blaze. Source: Missoulian News Content received from: American Biker News, http://americanbikernews.com