Clubhouse fire likely accidental

Investigators believe a fire that started at the clubhouse at the DB Raquet Club in Gainesville was accidental and may have been connected to an electrical room, Gainesville Fire Rescue reported.

Firefighters were called out twice to 5100 NW 53rd Ave., first early Sunday and again Monday morning, as flames ignited at the structure. The back-to-back fires destroyed the clubhouse, causing hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage, according to GFR.

Dry weather may have been a factor in the second episode, the agency reported.

Callers first reported a blaze at the clubhouse at about 2 a.m. Sunday, describing flames 20 to 30 feet off the clubhouse roof. A crackling noise could be heard, they said. Homes nearby were evacuated as a precaution.

After stopping the fire, firefighters stayed for several hours, overhauling the site. An overhaul after a fire means firefighters search through the area and look for hidden fires or hot spots that could reignite.

The blaze apparently did flare back up, with firefighters being called back at about 1 a.m. Monday, GFR reported. An employee at the club blamed high winds for the second blaze.

The exact cause of the fires remained under investigation Thursday. However, investigators were looking at an electrical room as a possible location where the blaze first started.

"Excessively" dry weather could have been one reason firefighters needed to return to the scene when the fire again ignited, according to GFR.

The total estimated property damage was $230,000, according to GFR. Contents damaged in the fire had an estimated $100,000 value.

The first fire burned a beauty parlor, second-story restaurant and recently remodeled bathrooms with saunas and showers, an employee said after the fire. The second blaze burned out the pro shop.

Lise Fisher can be reached at 352-374-5092 or fisherl@gvillesun.com.