UNION GROVE, Wis. --
Fire officials are investigating an early-morning blaze at the Union Grove American Legion hall Friday.
Crews with the Union Grove-York Fire Department were called to the scene on the 1000 block of New Street at about 3 a.m., after a sheriff's deputy noticed smoke coming from the building, WISN 12 News reported.
Investigators said the fire caused extensive damage, but that the hall's exterior is still holding up.
"I don't know if we'll salvage it. We're going to try. We'll make it alright," said American Legion member Bob Schommer.
Schommer said the hall was once a private home that was built in 1890.
Authorities said the cause of the fire is believed to be electrical, and may have started in the basement.
"With an old style building like this, with multiple additions, there are void spaces you have to get into and they're pretty hard to find. So it was very labor intensive," said Assistant Fire Chief Tim Allen.
Legion members said $10,000 in renovations had just been completed on the hall floors.
"I'm sick about it and ready to cry. I've been here 40 years; a lot of work I put in here kind of up in smoke, so to speak," said Legion member Buster Henningfield.
Legion members said their plan is to rebuild because of what the hall means to its members.
"Rebuild for the companionship and camaraderie -- it's a meeting place for us veterans," said Henningfield.
While putting out the fire, the Union Grove-York Fire Department said it received assistance from four other departments.
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