The clubhouse at the Virden Wellview Golf Club was totally destroyed after an aggressive fire Tuesday afternoon.
Wallace District Fire Department Chief Brad Yochim said the blaze broke out just before 3:30 p.m.
He said the clubhouse manager was in the kitchen when he noticed smoke coming in underneath the door.
“He tried to put it out with a fire extinguisher, but he was unsuccessful,” Yochim said.
The fire appeared to have started in the back of the clubhouse and extended to the attic. Yochim said a shed was burning, as well.
Fire crews from Virden and Elkhorn were quickly on scene. They fought the flames for a couple of hours, and eventually got the fire under control. The clubhouse was completely destroyed, the fire chief said.
“The building is a total loss. Some contents, we were able to save, but the building was completely destroyed,” Yochim said.
There’s no damage estimate at this time.
Yochim said they believe the fire was electrical.
"We believe it was an electrical short in an outlet on the outside of the building and they had a freezer plugged into it, so the fire started in the outlet.”
He said the clubhouse manager had a bit of smoke inhalation, but has recovered.
