Stanley’s Famous Pit BBQ in Tyler Narrowly Avoids Major Fire

Grease fires aren't uncommon in barbecue restaurants, and Tyler's iconic Stanley's Famous Pit Bar-B-Q had a close call with one Tuesday night.

A grease fire in one of Stanley's pits broke out, but the restaurant's staff and the Tyler Fire Department reacted quickly to extinguish the flames.

The fire broke out in Stanley's largest pit inside, nicknamed "Dutch." KLTV reported that little damage was done to the building other than some work needed to be done to the restaurant's smoke stacks.

"We got really, really lucky," owner Nick Pencis told KLTV. "If this had happened when we weren't here, everything would have been gone."

Over the last several years, grease fires have done a number to some of Texas' best barbecue restaurants. East Texas joint Riverport BBQ in Jefferson burned down completely in 2012 after a grease fire.

In 2013, the iconic Louie Mueller Barbecue in Taylor lost an original 54-year-old brick pit after a grease fire.

Stanley's will be one of 18 of the best barbecue joints in Texas participating in Saturday's Red Dirt BBQ & Music Festival in Downtown Tyler.