Massive Fire Destroys Clubhouse in Grosse Pointe Woods, MI
The Detroit News
(TNS)
GROSSE POINTE WOODS — The clubhouse at the historic Lochmoor Club burned to the ground in a fire and has been declared a total loss, while local officials warn it remains an active scene and that residents should be mindful of breathing the air near it.
Lochmoor leadership, including club general manager and chief operating officer Eric Reiter, sent an email to the club's membership late Sept. 9 saying, in part, "At this time, the clubhouse is a total loss."
Club leadership asked members to remain off the property, which was closed Sept. 10 as public-safety, cleanup and investigative crews remained on the scene. Club leadership told members it has been in contact with its insurance company.
Meanwhile, the community has offered support, with multiple local restaurants sending food to workers.
"We will get through this together," club leadership said in the email to members Sept. 9.
How the fire broke out
The fire broke out in the main clubhouse, which was rebuilt in 1969, is two stories and includes dining facilities, a pub, locker rooms and a kitchen, among other amenities. A crew was dispatched to the club around 2:41 p.m. on Sept. 9 in response to a reported kitchen fire, according to the Grosse Pointe Woods Public Safety Department, and smoke and flames could be seen coming through the roof.
A second building — an athletic center that includes a gym, tennis courts, golf simulators and the pro shop — is connected to the main clubhouse by a walkway. The walkway was knocked down by emergency crews to keep the fire from spreading. That building sustained only smoke damage.
The fire was brought under control before midnight on Sept. 9, and a firetruck remained on site to extinguish hotspots throughout the night, the Public Safety Department said in a release. The fire is under investigation and no further details will be released, according to the department, which said it was assisted by public safety units from Grosse Pointe City, Grosse Pointe Farms, Grosse Pointe Park, Grosse Pointe Shores, Harper Woods and St. Clair Shores Fire Department.
"The community will feel this loss for many years to come," the Grosse Pointe Woods Public Safety Department said. "Our thoughts are with members and workers who have been impacted by this devastating loss."
Caution tape was at the front entrance by the Lochmoor Club sign on Sept. 10, as curious onlookers craned for a look as they walked by or came up to the property perimeter to take photos.
School district warns of air quality issues
The Grosse Pointe school district said Sept. 10 it was monitoring the air quality in the nearby area and warned residents that the air quality near the club site "may be unhealthy for sensitive groups, particularly for our students and staff with underlying issues like asthma.
While the air quality was improving, the district said it decided to limit time outside at the Mason, Parcells and North schools as a precaution, the Grosse Pointe Public School System said in a message to parents.
"Please continue to avoid that area as it remains an active scene," the district said.
Lochmoor Club member: 'I have no words'
Debbie Jeup, 58, who lives in Harrison Township and has been a Lochmoor member since 2001, choked up as she recalled activities like swim meets and tennis and bringing her four children to the club.
“I’m devastated,” said Jeup, who moved to Harrison Township about seven years ago after living in Grosse Pointe for seven years. “I have no words.”
Grosse Pointe Woods resident and club member Bobby Weiland, 28, stopped by midday Sept. 10 to pick up his golf clubs. He said he’s been a member for about four years and came to the Lochmoor a few times a week to play golf and work out.
Weiland said he’s met a lot of new people and close friends through the club, and he was still somewhat in shock over its loss.
“It’s odd to know your usual congregation spot is no more,” he said.
Jeff Bagis, 74, has lived on the corner of Fairway and Sunningdale Drive across the street from the club since 1995.He got home at 3 p.m. on Sept. 9, when he said the fire was burning but didn’t seem catastrophic yet. He recalled a series of small explosions that ramped up the fire’s intensity later in the evening between 5 and 6:30 p.m.
Bagis said Sept. 10 that a day earlier, the wind was blowing the opposite direction from where he lives, leading him to believe the damage from the smoke and harm to the club’s pool and golf course could have been worse had the wind been blowing the other direction.
Bagis, whose family used to be social members of the club and whose son had his wedding shower at Lochmoor, said it was lucky damage to the surrounding area wasn’t worse and he’s grateful no one has been reported injured.
“That was a plus, of all things,” he said.
Lochmoor Club is home to a tournament-caliber golf course, designed by John H. Sweeney and Walter Travis, that first opened for play in 1918, according to the club's website. The original clubhouse was destroyed by a fire in 1924, rebuilt, and rehabilitated again and reopened in 1969. The clubhouse underwent significant renovations in the past few years.
"We're really going to miss this place for a while," Grosse Pointe Woods Mayor Arthur W. Bryant said on Sept. 9.
Club member Larry Alman, 74, of Grosse Pointe said he was in the clubhouse's gym when the fire started.
"I had to leave because the smell was not tolerable," he said on the afternoon of Sept. 9.
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