ELKHART — An early Saturday morning fire destroyed My Dad’s Place, a bar at 51425 S.R. 19, west of Simonton Lake.

The Osolo Township Fire Department responded to the call at 4:52 a.m. Saturday with reports of the building being “fully involved” according to Osolo firefighter Randy Stone. Upon arrival they “encountered heavy fire and we had to make a defensive attack,” he said.

“At no point could we go offensive there’s just too much fire in the beginning,” Stone said. Firefighters from the town of Bristol and Cleveland and Porter townships assisted at the scene.

The fire was under control by 6:33 a.m., Stone said. No one was in the building at the time of the fire and no civilians were injured.

“There was one firefighter transported to the hospital. I understand he is going to be OK,” Stone said.

After the news of the fire hit the Internet, locals sounded off on social media, including Facebook user KathyJo Mayer-Strukel who commented that it was “sad to lose another Simonton Lake landmark.”

Facebook user Nancy Nicholas mentioned that she glanced at the bar as she left Pete’s Simonton Lake Tavern on Friday night.

“What a shame,” she wrote. “For some people, establishments like My Dad’s Place, Pete’s, Barney’s Bar, Hunter’s Place, Hoppers are where some people retreat at the end of the day to meet with friends.”

The fire at My Dad’s Place is still under investigation.