The fire at the Milburn Golf & Country Club is contained, the Overland Park chief said shortly after 6 p.m. “But we’re in a defensive posture” to make sure it does not spread as high winds whip the fire, Chief Bryan Dehner said.
The large three-alarm fire was reported about 4:30 p.m. Monday.The fire was thought to have started on the clubhouse’s second floor, but authorities said they didn’t know what sparked it.
No injuries were reported, but high westerly winds fanned the flames and made the blaze difficult to control. Heavy smoke blanketed a large area of homes east/southeast of the club.A fire occurred in building earlier Monday, and fire officials were working to find out more about it.
One Milburn staff member was at the club when firefighters arrived, and officials have talked to that person, Dehner said. Some construction work was being done at the club. The club reportedly was closed Monday.
Flames were visible above the roof into the evening. Fire crews extended an aerial bucket over the clubhouse, and firefighters in the bucket poured water on the fire from above.Crews also had to bring water from a long distance because there were no nearby hydrants.
The club is at 7501 W. 69th St. A fire department spokesman urged drivers to avoid the area.Crews from Overland Park, Johnson County Consolidated No. 2, Shawnee, Merriam and Olathe responded to the fire.
Jim Crilly, a homeowner on 69th Street who lives three houses away from the club, said a friend told him that he heard a loud popping noise from the clubhouse before the firefighters arrived.Crilly said he went outside upon hearing the sirens and saw smoke that appeared to come from the west side of the clubhouse.
Smoke blanketed the neighborhoods blocks away from the club Monday night and was visible even against the night sky.
Milburn Golf & Country Club was founded in 1917, according to club’s website said. The course was regularly used by local golfers trying to qualify for the U.S. Open. The club has a fitness center, banquet facilities and other amenities.
Bob Fischgrund, the club’s vice president, said he had no doubt that Milburn will rebuild. He said that while there is bound to be a lot of work ahead, the course itself appeared to be undamaged.
“A club of this nature is about people, and the people are still going to be there,” he said.The club had planned a redecorating project in the clubhouse’s upstairs, including changes to the ballroom.
One of the club’s earliest mentions in The Kansas City Star was on April 1, 1917, when it opened. The club was described as “Kansas City’s first popular priced golf club” because its initiation fee and annual membership dues — $50 and $50 — were less than those of other clubs.
Monday’s fire wasn’t the first at Milburn. Flames destroyed the clubhouse in September 1932, the day before the club’s annual stag party. The estimated cost of the building was $60,000. The fire started in the second-floor apartment of the club manager, B.C. Bonnell, The Star reported. Almost all the furniture and equipment — including a grand piano and 225 sets of golf clubs — were saved by caddies and caretakers. Firefighters only had access to one hydrant, which had low pressure.A new building was open by May 1933.
A smaller fire in April 1960 damaged the club’s kitchen and dining wing, causing $10,000 in damage. The club undertook a $300,000 remodeling project that was mostly completed by that fall.
Art Parchen, a former member who wrote the club’s history, said Monday that the club had regularly held professional golfing events and was the course of choice for many people.
“Boy, I tell you, it’s sad to watch this thing collapse in on itself,” Parchen said. “The club had probably one of the best golf courses in the area.”
Diann McCallum of Mission was among dozens of people who lined Santa Fe Drive on Monday, watching firefighters work to tame the fire. Several people took photos with cell phones or digital cameras.
“You can see it on TV, but you don’t believe it until you actually see it,” McCallum said.McCallum, who graduated from Shawnee Mission North High in 1980, used to sing at the country club with the school choir every Christmas.
“It’s a gorgeous building. It’s really sad to see it go down,” McCallum said.Many people watching the fire recalled memories Christmas parties, wedding receptions, playing in the pool and spending afternoons golfing.
“I grew up being a kid here,” said Brandon McNeely. “It was the thing to do and the place to be.” “Of course I’m biased, but I think it’s the best golf course in Kansas City,” longtime member Frank Kennedy said.
The Strang Line Interurban Railway ran along the east side of the course and was a main stop. Before people had cars, visitors would ride the line to the golf club to caddy or play golf.
“It’s certainly been an important fixture in the city’s history,” said Florent Wagner, the president of the Overland Park Historical Society. “Thousands of people have been married there.”
Wagner said he was confident that Milburn will rebuild again, the same way that businesses in downtown Overland Park rebuilt after a fire in 2006.“This will not be the end of Overland Park,” Wagner said. “They will rise from the ashes and be better than before.”
Diana Jackson worked several jobs at the country club from 1981 to 1986 including bartending.“It’s really sad,” Jackson said as she watched the fire burn. “I have a lot of great memories from there.”Chris Farrell and his twin brother, Greg, grew up playing junior golf at the club.
“The pride of all of those that were part of this club will find a way to begin again,” Chris Farrell said. “They truly will.”
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