Bar owners in Ames may use extra caution when serving specialty drinks after a fire in an Iowa City bar resulted in burns to several customers.

Etc., a bar in Iowa City, is facing lawsuits after nine people were injured at the bar last week during an incident in which bartenders poured rum onto the bar and ignited it.

Witnesses were not certain how the fire, which was initially contained in the bar’s steel well, went out of control.

Iowa City police are still investigating the incident.

Dwight Rivera, owner of MoJazz, 2520 Lincoln Way, said the bar offers fiery shots such as “flaming Dr Peppers,” but bartenders have never lit the bar on fire.

“It would put people in danger,” Rivera said. “We’ll light [alcohol] up for shots, but we’ll start it up ourselves.”

Rivera said flaming shots are popular, but bartenders monitor them very carefully.

“We don’t usually do it, and when we do, we ask people to stand back,” he said. “The bartenders always light it. There is a list of shots that require you to light up, but you don’t have to do what the recipe tells you to.”

Rivera also said the bar once performed an act imitating the movie “Coyote Ugly,” but not to the extent of lighting the bar on fire.

Vince Munoz, manager at People’s Bar and Grill, 2428 Lincoln Way, said his bartenders have never set the bar on fire and have abolished flaming shots.

“We got rid of those years ago because people would buy it for their friends and they would end up puking, and we didn’t like cleaning it up,” Munoz said. “We don’t have time to light stuff on fire.”

Munoz said he has never seen anyone get hurt from a flaming shot.

Rivera said he wouldn’t be surprised if stricter policies will be made in light of the Iowa City incident.

“I’m not really sure if lighting the bar on fire is against the fire code or not,” Rivera said. “A lot of bars are going to become very aware, and I think something will be implemented in Ames because it puts customers in danger.”

City Risk Manager Jon-Scott Johnson said some places, such as “grill-it-yourself” restaurants, can have open flames legally, but not in situations like Etc.’s.

“As long as surfaces are properly ventilated, you can have an open flame, but pouring flammables on a bar or floor isn’t OK,” Johnson said. “You’ve got to think, `What were they thinking?'”

Deputy Fire Chief Russ Scott said he hasn’t seen any bar fires in Ames.

“I think this sort of behavior probably became popular from the `Coyote Ugly’ movie,” Scott said. “There is the reckless use of fire code. We use the uniform fire code, but I cannot give you a specific code section for this situation.”

Scott said they need to look at the code more carefully when it pertains to establishments such as bars and nightclubs – especially flaming shots.

“Typically, if the liquor is contained, it’s acceptable,” he said.

A certain level of responsibility is expected from bar owners and bartenders, Scott said.

“You don’t purposely bring an object of ignition into contact with a flame source,” he said.

– The Associated Press contributed to this report.