Electrical Fire Sparked Meadow Brook Blaze

READING, MA — The cause of a fire that destroyed the clubhouse at the Meadow Brook Golf Club Friday morning was electrical, Reading Fire Chief Gregory Burns and State Fire Marshal Peter Ostroskey said.

The fire started around 3:40 a.m. in a void space in the ceiling between an office and kitchen. It burned undetected, eventually breaking out of the void space and up the exterior of the building, investigators said.

Investigators believe the electrical fire disabled the alarm system. By the time a neighbor noticed the fire, it already had a "strong hold" on the building, investigators said.

The fire caused an estimated $1.5 million in damages. No one was in the building at the time of the fire.

"I want to thank our many mutual aid partners who assisted Reading firefighters in battling this blaze," Burns said in a statement. "In order to bring enough water, we had to connect to hydrants from some distance and lay long runs of hose. The use of Lynnfield’s tower ladder also helped us to get the fire under control."

Previously: Fire Destroys Clubhouse At Meadow Brook Golf Club