READING, MASS. (WHDH) - A century-old golf club in Reading that went up in flames early Friday morning has been deemed a total loss, fire officials said.
Firefighters responding to a reported blaze at the Meadow Brook Golf Club on Grove Street around 3:40 a.m. found fierce flames shooting from the clubhouse and thick smoke billowing into the air, according to Reading Fire Captain Paul Guarino.
“When crews arrived on scene we had heavy fire showing from the front of the building,” Guarino told reporters. “It is a sprinkler building, however, at that time there was no fire involved in the area of the sprinklers.”
“Shock. Sadness. You know, I’ve been a longstanding member,” said Kate Coppins, a member of the club’s board of directors. “This is a club that’s been around since 1898.”
The multi-alarm fire was first spotted by an off-duty police officer who immediately called 911.
Crews from a number of surrounding communities responded to the scene but they struggled to knock down the stubborn flames. They also had issues with getting water on the clubhouse because its located on a dead-end street.
“We ran into an issue with the water supply. We have a great water supply system here but we’re on a dead-end street so we had limited hydrants,” Guarino added.
Cleanup crews are working to remove the charred remains that now litter the property. Firefighters could also be seen pulling trophies from the ashes of the shelves they once sat upon.
There were no reported injuries but Guarino said the building is a total loss.
Investigators later determined that the fire was electrical nature.
Club officials said they intend to rebuild.
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