A person tried to light the Lander Bar on fire Monday morning, police say.
The Lander Bar at 126 Main St. is a popular hangout in downtown Lander, Wyoming. It and its restaurant half, the Gannett Grill, attract locals, National Outdoor Leadership School and college students, and other visitors to the small climbing and hiking community.
Monday at 4:30 a.m., someone tried to light the Lander Bar on fire, according to a Lander Police Department statement released Tuesday afternoon.
“We are reaching out to our tight knit community for help in gathering any information regarding the individual,” says the statement. “The Lander Bar is a home for all of us here and we want to do everything we can to ensure the safety of our employees and our patrons.”
The person tried to light the outside of the bar from the parking lot side, Lander Bar owner Kyle Vassilopoulos told Cowboy State Daily on Tuesday.
The person spilled some kind of fire accelerant on the building and lit it, but the flames did not spread and soon went out, Vassilopoulos added.
“The actual damage to the bar, miraculously, is minimal, so I mean — basically it didn’t work at all,” he said. “It was a completely 100% failed attempt.”
Recording security cameras facing outside caught the act, he said. And though the fire didn’t spread to engulf the building, which fortunately has an exterior of mostly stucco, brick and metal, the video is “terrifying, honestly.”
“The chances of it being … nothing versus, potentially, something catastrophic was literally the flip of a coin,” said Vassilopoulos.
He said he’s grateful no one was in the building.
The LPD statement says the agency will release a video of the act Wednesday morning.
Vassilopoulos emphasized that he is working with LPD and coordinated on releasing the Tuesday statement to prioritize safety of the bar’s patrons, staff and others throughout the community.
He said the bar and restaurant are open as usual, and “excited for the holidays.”
Anyone with information on this incident can message LPD Sgt. Detective Randy Lutterman at rlutterman@landerwyoming.org or message at 307-332-3401, Ext. 7.
“Any tips will remain anonymous,” says the LPD statement.
Clair McFarland can be reached at clair@cowboystatedaily.com.
