Firefighters were still pouring water on the Lochmoor Club in Grosse Pointe Woods and the smell of the burning was still in the air the morning after a fire tore through the historic country club and golf course.
Officials were called to the club, which boasts founding fathers including Edsel Ford and the Dodge brothers, shortly before 3 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 9, for a report of a fire in the ceiling, Grosse Pointe Woods Director of Public Safety John Kosanke said.
By the end of the evening, the main clubhouse was "pretty much destroyed," said Mayor Arthur Bryant.
It's the part of the facility where community banquets are held, he noted. Details on whether the building would be completely torn down or whether anything could be saved weren't immediately
available.
However, Bryant did say there was enough time to remove golf equipment from the site and pull the golf carts away.
"It's very upsetting," he said of the fire, calling the historic location "a wonderful main spot within the community" for events.
In an alert sent by the public safety department on the morning of Thursday, Sept. 10, officials asked the public to stay away from the active fire scene.
"We understand the curisority surrounding the active incident at Lochmoor Club, however this is still an active fire scene," the alert said. "Crews are still on scene working. ... For everyone's safety, avoid the area. Please do not approach the scene to take photos or videos. Find an alternate route to work and school.
The original clubhouse, completed between 1917 and 1918, was lost to a fire in 1924, according to the club's website. The current clubhouse opened in 1969.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Firefighters dousing historic Lochmoor Club in Grosse Pointe Woods
