Fire Breaks out First Buc-ee’s Travel Center

Buc-ee’s fans were left heartbroken after a fire broke out at the original Buc-ee’s location in Luling, Texas last week. The building, located in the area of Interstate 10 and Highway 183 and home to the first ever Buc-ee’s travel center in the country, caught fire at around 10:30 a.m. local time on Monday, July 1, with more than a dozen agencies responding to the scene to help extinguish the blaze.

“Around 10:30 this morning SECC VFD was toned out to assist Luling Fire on a structure fire this was the OLD Buc-EE’S fire was controlled quickly with all the manpower on scene,” the Southeast Caldwell County VFD confirmed.

Amid some confusion, the Caldwell County Office of Emergency Management confirmed that “the sign and some information you may have seen, the fire is NOT the new Buc-ee’s travel stop.” After being founded in Clute, Texas in 1982, the convenience store chain began its sweeping expansion when it opened its first travel center in Luling, Texas in 2003. That building was recently closed, with demolition crews moving in to tear it down, after a larger 75,000-square-foot Buc-ee’s location with 120 gas pump opened in June, becoming the largest convenience store in the world.

“This morning, during the demolition of the old building in Luling, there was a fire,” Buc-ee’s General Counsel Jeff Nalado told MySA in an email. “Our new store was not damaged and all of the award-winning clean restrooms are available.”

Images shared online showed dark plumes of smoke billowing from the building, which was left badly damaged by the time emergency services managed to put out the flames. The Caldwell County Office of Emergency Management confirmed in an 11:11 update that “the fire is out and firefighters are doing cleanup. Motorists may safely proceed with caution.” Luling Deputy Fire Chief Keith Lohse later stated that the cause of the fire “was accidental/unintentional from the use of the heavy equipment during the demo process.”

Buc-ee’s is an American chain of gas stations and general stores known for it’s beaver mascot, BBQ brisket sandwiches, its signature Beaver Nuggets, and the “world’s cleanest bathrooms.” The new 75,000-square-foot Luling location opened in June, replacing previous record-holding Buc-ee’s in Sevierville, Tennessee as the world’s largest. Attending the opening ceremony, Texas Governor Greg Abbott said, “As the state’s greatest fan of ‘Beaver Nuggets,’ I am proud that Texas is home to the world’s best convenience store…This Texas-based chain now has locations across Texas and in states like Alabama, Colorado, Florida, and Georgia. They helped spread Texas hospitality, good barbecue, and beaver nuggets wherever they go. Texas is proud to be the home base of the growing Buc-ee’s empire.”