Catskill Elks Lodge damaged by fire
The Daily Mail
May 31, 2009, online

CATSKILL — More than 80 firefighters were called Saturday morning to battle a blaze at the Catskill Elks Lodge, at 45 North Jefferson Ave., in Jefferson Heights.

Fire companies from Catskill, Leeds, Athens and West Athens-Limestreet responded to the call, according to fire officials and eyewitnesses.

Hudson provided a Fire Assistance and Rescue Team and the Kiskatom company was placed on stand-by, Catskill Fire Department First Assistant Chief Jon Dees said.

Dees said that when he arrived on the scene shortly before 5:30 a.m., he saw “a lot of black smoke” coming from the building.

He said that although the fire had been concentrated in the building’s kitchen, it was able to spread through an attic-like space to a main room.

He said the interior of the lodge had suffered “a lot” of damage and the building had been condemned by Catskill Town Building Inspector.

By 8:30 a.m., the fire had been put out, Dees said, adding that firefighters were still at the scene in case any hot spots flared up.

The Greene County Fire Investigation Team was investigating the cause of the fire, Dees said.

Members of the Elks club were also present, gathering by the club’s main entrance off Route 23.

According to Elk club member Adrian Forster, the fire was first noticed at about 5 a.m. by a woman driving on Route 23 who called the fire dispatcher.

Catskill firefighters arrived around 5:25 a.m., followed soon after by teams from Athens, West Athens and Hudson, he said.

He said he was impressed by the firefighters’ quick response.

“I thought it was a drill,” club member Adrian Forster, who lives on North Jefferson Avenue, said about seeing fire trucks pass his house.

Elks Trustee Don Holden said that the fire had been mainly in the kitchen and the banquet hall but that the whole building, which was used for club events and could be rented out for parties, suffered damage.

Holden said a baby shower, scheduled for Saturday afternoon, would have to be relocated.

Later that afternoon, Holden said the building was unusable.

Forster said that the loss of the building was a blow to the Catskill community.

Even though the damage was largely smoke and water related, Forster said it could be at least a year before the building could be used again.

“Thank God someone called in because we would have lost the whole building,” he said.