Bar patrons at Corner Tap in McHenry were forced to evacuated for nearly an hour after smoke filled the basement Sunday evening.
Firefighters were dispatched to the Corner Tap bar, 3901 West Main Street in McHenry, at 6:30 p.m. for a report of smoke inside the bar’s basement. Emergency crews worked at the scene for over an hour trying to identify the source of the smoke and ventilating the building.
Officials believe a hot cigarette butt likely rolled through the cracks in the foundation along the sidewalk, causing part of the wood frame to smolder.
There were visible flames, but customers claimed the smoke smelled like “burning wood”.
No injuries were reported. The structure suffered little to no damage during the incident.
McHenry Police assisted with rerouting traffic around the scene. Both Main Street and Route 31 were closed in both directions.