Construction accident caused fire in original Buc-ee’s building in Luling

LULING, Texas — Luling firefighters said they were “all hands on deck” Monday morning when the very first Buc-ee’s stop went up in flames.

The fire was caused by the use of heavy equipment during demolition work, said Keith Lohse, Luling’s deputy fire chief.

An official with the Luling Volunteer Fire Department said the fire broke out around 10 a.m. Monday in the now-demolished building.

More than a dozen fire departments responded to the scene and the fire was extinguished by midday.

The space will be used as additional parking for the new Buc-ee’s store on the adjacent property, which opened last month. The new stop spans 75,000 square feet, making it the largest Buc-ee’s store in the country.

The original store was built in 2003.

The Caldwell County Emergency Management Office said on Facebook that the new store was not affected by the fire.