North Harris Co. pool hall burns in 3-alarm fire

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A well-known pool hall in north Harris County is gone, destroyed by a three-alarm fire Thursday morning. It happened at the Barney's billiards saloon

For almost five hours, an early-morning fire tore through the busuiness.

"They said everything's gone," said Jason Satterfield, co-owner of Barney's. "Our 25-year business just turned into toast."

Firefighters arrived as thick black smoke poured out of the building.

"The slates on the pool table may not burn, but the rest of it will," said Ponderosa Fire Chief Fred Windisch.

And it did. The three-alarm fire spread quickly through the walls and ceiling, too dangerouis to attack from within. Firefighter were forced to fight it from above.

"Is a built up roof meaning there's tar gravel, tin and metal," said Chief Windisch. "And part of tha t ceiling collapsed from the fire into the first floor.

Tonya Hansen was at a friend's house across the street whe the fire broke out. She says it was hard to watch.

"Our house went up in flames. You guys were there," she said. I'm just having flashbacks."

Satterfield vows this won't be the end of Barney's.

"My family's been here forever," he said. "We'll rebuild and make it better than it was. That's about all we can do."