By MES Dispatch Staff
The Briefing
- The main clubhouse at the historic Lochmoor Club in Grosse Pointe Woods, Michigan, burned to the ground Sept. 9 and has been declared a total loss.
- Crews were dispatched around 2:41 p.m. in response to a reported kitchen fire; the blaze was brought under control before midnight, with a fire truck remaining overnight to extinguish hotspots.
- A connected athletic center sustained only smoke damage after emergency crews demolished the walkway linking it to the clubhouse to stop the fire from spreading.
- No injuries have been reported; the Grosse Pointe Woods Public Safety Department said the fire remains under investigation and no further details will be released.
- The Grosse Pointe school district limited outdoor activity at three nearby schools as a precaution while monitoring air quality near the scene.
GROSSE POINTE WOODS, Mich. — The clubhouse at the historic Lochmoor Club burned to the ground and has been declared a total loss following a fire Sept. 9, according to the Grosse Pointe Woods Public Safety Department and club officials.
Crews were dispatched to the club around 2:41 p.m. in response to a reported kitchen fire, with smoke and flames visible coming through the roof of the two-story clubhouse, which includes dining facilities, a pub, locker rooms and a kitchen. A connected athletic center — housing a gym, tennis courts, golf simulators and the pro shop — sustained only smoke damage after emergency crews demolished the walkway linking the two buildings to prevent the fire from spreading.
The fire was brought under control before midnight, and a fire truck remained on site overnight extinguishing hotspots. The Public Safety Department said it was assisted by units from Grosse Pointe City, Grosse Pointe Farms, Grosse Pointe Park, Grosse Pointe Shores, Harper Woods and the St. Clair Shores Fire Department. The fire remains under investigation, and officials said no further details will be released.
“The community will feel this loss for many years to come,” the department said in a statement. “Our thoughts are with members and workers who have been impacted by this devastating loss.” No injuries have been reported.
Lochmoor leadership, including general manager and chief operating officer Eric Reiter, notified club members of the total loss the evening of the fire and asked them to stay off the property, which remained closed Sept. 10 as public safety, cleanup and investigative crews worked the scene. Club officials said they have been in contact with their insurance company.
The Grosse Pointe school district said Sept. 10 it was monitoring air quality near the site and warned that conditions could be unhealthy for sensitive groups, including students and staff with asthma or other underlying conditions. As a precaution, the district limited outdoor time at Mason, Parcells and North schools.
Lochmoor Club’s golf course first opened in 1918; the original clubhouse was destroyed by fire in 1924 and later rebuilt, with the most recent structure dating to 1969 and undergoing renovations in recent years. Grosse Pointe Woods Mayor Arthur W. Bryant said Sept. 9 that “we’re really going to miss this place for a while.”