John W. Burns, 42, was sentenced to five years in prison for deliberately setting the fire that destroyed the Old Pink, the beloved Allentown bar and restaurant on Allen Street, in the early morning hours of June 17, 2024. The blaze followed an argument and a fight, and investigators say Burns used a blue propane plumbers torch to carry out a threat he had made just before walking away from the building.
Burns was sentenced Tuesday, according to btpm.org, which reported he pleaded guilty in July to intentionally starting the fire. He had fought with a security guard for the bar and, according to the same report, told him, “I'll be back (expletive), I'll burn that (expletive) down.” Hours later, that threat became reality.
Per News 4 Buffalo, a woman had complained that Burns touched her inappropriately, setting off the confrontation that led to the fight with the security guard. Officials said Burns later brought two garbage bags to the back of the Old Pink, and security footage showed him walking away from the building before fire crews responded around 5:45 a.m., per the station's reporting. Investigators found a propane plumbers torch near the back of the building.
A Building Beyond Saving
Officials said the building was beyond saving once the flames took hold, and the city ordered an emergency demolition later that same day, according to News 4 Buffalo. The fire was formally ruled arson on August 1, 2024, as reported by WKBW, which also put the damage at an estimated $1.25 million. Burns wasn't arrested and charged with federal arson until September 6, 2024, the station noted.
After he was charged, Burns was placed in a rehabilitation program, then later placed under house arrest after being removed from it, per WKBW's reporting. News 4 Buffalo reported that a judge sent Burns to a 28-day inpatient facility in September 2024, and that he was later sent to home confinement at his parents' home in Grand Island in 2025. His lawyers had sought treatment for his mental health issues, according to the station.
What Burns Pleaded Guilty To
Burns pleaded guilty to arson of a building used in interstate commerce, according to the United States Department of Justice. That charge carries a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine, per the Justice Department's announcement — the same five-year term he ultimately received.
The Old Pink wasn't just another bar to Allentown. News 4 Buffalo described it as a late-night cultural hub known for punk rock DJs and its famous steak sandwich, as well as an end-of-night meeting place where patrons gathered after other area bars had closed. The current iteration of the bar was established in the early 1990s, with its Instagram page citing 1990 specifically, according to wivb.com. The building itself dated back to 1863, when it began as a store and stopping point for sailors, merchants, and cattle drivers, according to Buffalo Rising.
A Vacant Lot and an Uncertain Future
The night of the fire, supporters gathered at the wreckage for a candlelight vigil, leaving flowers, candles, and heartfelt messages around what remained, per Buffalo Rising's account. More than a year later, the site remains a vacant lot, and WKBW reported that the future of the property is still uncertain. The city has said it will work with property owners to ensure any future redevelopment includes a robust community engagement process, according to the outlet.
The Old Pink fire wasn't an isolated blow to Allentown's nightlife scene. An overnight fire on January 5, 2025, destroyed Mulligan's Brick Bar, another beloved spot in the district, according to Buffalo News. For a neighborhood built around its late-night bar culture, the losses have landed close together.
