Update: Oakland Hills Country Club fire has caused structure to 'pancake on itself'
BLOOMFIELD TWP., Mich. (FOX 2) - The south side of the famed Oakland Hills Country Club structure fire continues to burn into Thursday night as firefighters also work against the winter storm according to Bloomfield Township officials.
The clubhouse fire on the north side was put out, but massive structural damage has led the building to "pancake on itself" according to Fire Chief John Leroy in an evening press conference. He added that it will likely be a "total rebuild."
"The building has collapsed in so many different places that it has actually pancaked on itself," Leroy said. "The water is not getting to where it needs to get to actually cool off and put the fire out. As soon as we quit flowing water in an area, it flares up five to 10 minutes later."
Leroy said the fire on the south side of the building has grown and gotten worse.
There have been no injuries from the fire with either civilians or firefighters, he said. And more good news, many of the invaluable items from inside have been saved.
When the fire was first reported at 9:20 this morning, temperatures were in the 40s with rain, which have since gotten worse. First came sleet, and now a heavy band of snow is across the area giving firefighters a new set of difficulties.
"The ladder trucks have been outside eight hours and are starting to freeze up, lot of ice on them," Leroy said. "We're going to rotate out our trucks. As snow builds up it is getting harder and harder."
RELATED: Oakland Hills Country Club fire: Historic clubhouse destroyed in massive blaze
The historic 105,000-square-foot building is the second-largest wood structure in Michigan, only behind the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island.
Leroy said the continuing efforts to battle the fire will be defensive with safety a priority, while weather conditions worsen. He said mutual aid from neighboring departments have helped in the operation and credited his firefighters.
"The personnel on the scene did everything they could on the worst day you could have a fire like this," he said.