Damage visible on the back side of the Salemtowne clubhouse following an early morning fire on Friday, July 16, 2021 (Ron Cooper/Salem Reporter)
A fire that caused about $300,000 of damage at the Salemtowne clubhouse early on Friday, July 16 started accidentally, Salem Fire Marshal Greg Hadley said.
Firefighters who responded initially described the blaze as suspicious, but after inspecting the building, fire investigators determined it was accidental. Hadley said there were “several potential causes” and investigators haven’t yet determined which one sparked the blaze.
The clubhouse includes a fitness area, kitchen, recreational and meeting spaces for the west Salem community, which has about 700 residents, said Tom Mahon, chair of the Salemtowne Board of Directors.
Mahon said electricity is back on to other nearby buildings following a shutoff after the fire. That means the golf shop across the street is running normally, “which makes the golfers happy,” Mahon said with a laugh.
The nearby swimming pool also has power back on and will be open later this week once the water chemistry is rebalanced, Mahon said.
Board members are working with inspectors to get the clubhouse certified for occupancy again so residents can use areas undamaged by the fire. That includes the office, some craft rooms and a video library. The clubhouse’s pool tables were covered during the fire and mostly escaped damage from ash, Mahon said.
Mahon said the south portion of the building, where the fire took place, will be out of commission into 2022. The community’s golf course was unaffected.
“It’s a disaster but it’s not devastating,” he said. “We’re still functioning.”
-Rachel Alexander
