Photo by Stacy Kranitz
Around 5 AM on Wednesday morning, the Sausage Castle—central Florida's infamous ratchet party house—caught on fire. Firefighters extinguished the flames, but not before the building burned to the ground. Local Florida officials have reportedly dubbed the blaze "suspicious," but no cause has been reported yet."I have no idea [what happened]," Sausage Castle impresario Mike Busey told VICE Wednesday. "I woke up to the news."For three years, the Sausage Castle served as a commune for outcasts from both conservative and liberal society: Juggalos, country lesbians, and Iraq War veterans, to name a few. The castle first made headlines when its 600-pound resident Big LA received a lap dance from Ratchet Regi, the self-proclaimed "most ratchet stripper" in Orlando. It continued to stir up love and controversy as Sausage Castle residents had sex in showers, pulled American flags out of a drag queen's asshole, and donated Christmas presents to a kid with Down syndrome.Last fall, however, public opinion won, and the castle residents were evicted and moved several miles away to start a new Sausage Castle. The old space had sat empty for roughly six months, and no one was hurt when it caught fire Wednesday, according to the Orlando Sentinel.Prudes and fires can't stop the Sausage People, though. As Busey regularly says, "The Sausage Castle is not a place. It's a way of life."Read more about the Sausage Castle, and check out some photos from the original castle here.