A 124-year-old clubhouse at a historic golf club in Shelton was deemed a total loss following a Friday night blaze.
Shelton Fire Department Companies 1, 3 and 5 responded to a building fire at the Highland Golf Club in Shelton around 11:26 p.m. on Friday, according to Chief Francis T. Jones III of the Shelton Fire Department.
According to the Highland Golf Club website, the facility is one of the longest continually operating private golf clubs in Connecticut and was approaching its 125th anniversary.
Fire crews arrived to see flames approaching propane tanks on the property. The propane tanks later exploded, sending shrapnel hundreds of feet away.
“A few exploded, thankfully no one was injured,” Jones said.
Burned away power lines added a challenge for the firefighters, according to the fire department.
“It was windy on Friday evening and it made it more challenging for the department,” Jones said.
Jones said no one was in the building at the time of the fire, and the last people had left after an evening event ended earlier Friday night.
The fire was under control in just over an hour and was fought by 40 firefighters.
“It’s unfortunate that we lost an old, historic building just before its 125th anniversary,” Jones said.
Shelton Company 4, Derby and Monroe Fire Departments assisted in fighting a nearby large brush fire that started due to embers from the Highland Golf Club building. Ansonia, Monroe and Stratford Fire Departments provided station coverage during the fire.
Although the building was a total loss, Jones said the golf course itself had “very minimal damage.”
Jones said the Shelton Police Department and the town’s Fire Marshall are conducting the ongoing investigation into the fire.
