NEW RINGGOLD - A fast-moving fire destroyed the West Penn Archery Club's clubhouse in West Penn Township Sunday night.
Dennis Fritzinger, chief of the West Penn Township Fire Company No. 1, said the cause of the blaze at 147 Archery Club Road is under investigation.
He said township Police Chief Brian Johnson and state police fire marshal Trooper John F. Burns of the Frackville station are trying to determine the exact cause and origin of the fire.
Neither Burns nor township police were available for comment on the progress of the investigation Monday.
Fritzinger said firefighters were called at 7:43 p.m. and found most of the building that served as a clubhouse and storage facility engulfed in flames when they arrived minutes later.
"The main portion of the building was basically gone, it was already through the roof," he said. "The fire had a pretty good jump on us."
It was decided, Fritzinger said, not to try an interior attack out of concern for the safety of firefighters. Instead, responders battled the intense flames from the outside.
He said a portion of the building is used as a clubhouse and the remainder for storage, including cardboard targets used for archery.
The entire structure, Fritzinger said, was destroyed. However, he had no estimate on the amount of damage caused by the blaze.
Firefighters remained on the scene until after midnight, the chief said.
Fritzinger said assistance was immediately requested for companies from surrounding communities.
Volunteers from Walker Township, Tamaqua and New Ringgold as well as Mahoning Valley in neighboring Carbon County responded.
The Tamaqua Rescue Squad, area fire police and Penn Mahoning EMS assisted at the scene as well.