BURKITTSVILLE, MD – Fire destroyed a pavilion and contents at the Burkittsville Ruritan Club on Wednesday, Nov. 9.
Heavy black smoke was visible for several miles. Upon seeing the billowing smoke, Jefferson Fire Co. Deputy Chief Tommy Lakin requested a tanker task force be dispatched.
“I knew we had a working fire, and since it’s in a rural area, I asked for the extra tankers,” he said.
Fortunately, there was a brisk wind blowing to the west which sent the flames away from an enclosed building about three feet away.
The roof of the pavilion collapsed before firefighters arrived. Burning power lines popped as the flames intensified.
Firefighters set up folding tanks at the end of the driveway, and crews set up a drafting site at the Burkittsville pond.
Lakin said the partially enclosed structure contained numerous picnic tables, chairs, equipment and a soda machine. He said firefighters focused on protecting the other buildings.
The cause of the blaze remains under investigation by the Frederick County Fire Marshal’s Office.
