Video: Arsonist sets fire on Shoal Creek Saloon patio, business still open

AUSTIN, Texas - Shoal Creek Saloon is fixing its patio after a fire the Austin Fire Department says was arson. The incident happened Tuesday morning.

Owner of Shoal Creek Saloon Ray Canfield stresses the business is still open - luckily the fire didn't affect the inside of the building. The patio is expected to be open in a few days.

In surveillance video, someone can be seen walking around the patio, then something ignites in the corner. The person walks off, and the flame gets bigger and starts spreading.

"It's kind of sad, it really is. This is a beautiful place. We've put a lot of time and money into it," Canfield said. "Your brain goes crazy trying to figure out what the motive might be."

A cleaning crew cleaned up the patio, and Canfield says they still have to fix electrical wiring and get drapes, which kept the patio warm.

"If you come, until we get it all fixed, need to wear a jacket," he said.

Right on the banks of Shoal Creek, the saloon has faced flooding multiple times in the last three decades. The last major one was in 2015.

"I'm really prepared for a flood," Canfield said. "When I see it raining real hard, I get my game face on, ready to face it if something happens."

He says they even have a flood response plan.

"We come back real fast because it's important to, we don't want to lose momentum," he said.

While the fire is a different type of disaster, Canfield says they're not any less resilient.

"I don't think there's anybody better than us at coming back from a big disaster, and we're going to prove it one more time here," he said.

He even says they've won an Emmy for a PSA about emergency preparedness.