A fire is blazing across Yosemite’s Mariposa Grove.
One of America’s most beloved national parks is on fire. On July 7, the Yosemite National Park Facebook page announced the Washburn Fire. Estimated at 60-70 acres, the Yosemite wildfire forced the closure of Mariposa Grove, the park’s largest grove of giant sequoias. The area was evacuated, and Yosemite National Park’s website advises nearby residents to prepare for further evacuations.
According to The Guardian, the closure marks Yosemite’s first major shutdown since 1988. However, additional closures may be on the horizon as temperatures rise. Some park officials have specifically voiced concern for climate change’s disproportionate impact on national parks in the United States.
Via Yosemite NPS Facebook.
“Every single one of our national parks is suffering from the effects of climate change, from record-breaking wildfires and droughts to rising sea levels and the destruction of cultural resources,” Stephanie Kodish, the climate change program director at the National Parks Conservation Association, wrote in June.
As firefighters work to suppress the Washburn Fire, many worry about what further environmental disasters may lie ahead. With protection measures limited after the Supreme Court decision to prevent the Environmental Protection Agency from mandating emission reductions, national parks may need to prepare for additional emergencies.
“The decision, reached on a 6-3 partisan split, will have wide-ranging and deeply harmful consequences for air quality and the health of the climate,” Kodish added.
The Denver Fire Dept. contained a fire at the #Broncos’ stadium Thursday. There were no injuries.
The Denver Fire Department contained a fire at Empower Field at Mile High on Thursday afternoon. The cause of the fire is not yet known.
The fire “affected the suite [area] and the third level seating area,” the fire department posted on Twitter before later posting that the fire is now under control.
Fire now under control at Mile high Stadium. Sprinklers attempted to stop the fire, but firefighters were needed to complete extinguishment. Heavy fire & smoke was found on our arrival media briefing to take place at 3:00 p.m. on east side of stadium. @DenSafetyDept@CityofDenverpic.twitter.com/7AjPg1x1AN
Workers were evacuated from the stadium when the fire started, according to KUSA-TV’s Mike Klis, who also reported the seats will be replaced and the suits will be repaired in the coming weeks.
A small fire that occurred in a construction zone near the East Club Lounge at Empower Field at Mile High has been contained by @Denver_Fire.
That area of the stadium was quickly evacuated as a precaution and there were no injuries sustained.
The next event scheduled to be held at the stadium is Monster Jam, which will take place on April 23. The Denver Broncos are set to return to the stadium for preseason games in August.
Surveillance footage was recovered from a hard drive submerged in water during the fire.
A month after the devastating fire that burned down the Oakland Hills Country Club, new evidence shows the fire appears to have started from construction workers using a propane torch against a wall.
The construction workers were on the east side of the building trying to rebuild a patio, said Bloomfield Township Fire Chief John LeRoy in a news conference this week.
They were using the torch to install rubberized flashing, and the heat from the flame helps dry it in the cold weather, he said.
After using the torch, the workers appeared to see smoke coming out of the wall and used a hose. Then, the video cuts to flames bursting out of the wall after firefighters axed it. He said the fire was able to live and spread between the walls.
“It looks to me that they were like, ‘Uh oh, we got a problem here,’ and were trying to figure out what to do, that’s where the hose comes in,” said Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard.
As of now, Bouchard said it appears there was no intent to start the fire. But the footage is incomplete, and officials are continuing the investigation. Bouchard said it could take a full year to finish it.
“Some things look conclusive, but may not be,” he said.
It is unclear how long the fire went before someone called 911, LeRoy said, and the 911 call came from the pastry kitchen in the basement.
The surveillance footage was recovered from a hard drive submerged in water during the fire, and investigators are working to figure out the timestamps to “piece it all together,” LeRoy said.
The historic country club burned to the ground on Feb. 17, taking with it a century of golf history and mementos that can never be replaced. It took firefighters all day to battle the blaze.
Firefighters battle a fire at Oakland Hills Country Club in Bloomfield Township, Michigan, on Thursday, February 17, 2022. (Photo: Eric Seals-USA TODAY NETWORK)
Bouchard said the fire caused an $80 million loss to the country club.
Officials continued to sort through the embers of the devastating Bloomfield Township fire for the past month, using evidence from the scene and different witness statements.
Statements obtained by the Free Press recall a smell of smoke and the blinking strobe lights of the fire alarm, followed by a hurried evacuation and the growth of flames. However, two employees also mentioned a failing heat pump in their statements to law enforcement.
In their statements, employees say the structure was undergoing repairs in parts of the building and because of that, it had contractors on-site the day of the fire. Responding firefighters dragged away propane tanks, a heater and a torch from the building, which were confiscated for evidence, according to police reports also obtained by the Free Press.
The Oakland Hills Country Club board voted to build a replica of the 99-year-old iconic building that was decimated by the fire and predicted it would take a few seasons to complete.
Staff writer Miriam Marini contributed to this report.
Contact Emma Stein: estein@freepress.com and follow her on Twitter @_emmastein.
The club plans to build a replica of the iconic clubhouse that burned.
Oakland Hills Country Club president Rick Palmer was at home just minutes from the iconic clubhouse near Detroit on Thursday when he learned the 100-year-old structure was on fire.
“I got the call from (general manager) Christine Pooler about right when it happened,” said Palmer, who retired last year after owning a trucking company and who has been a member of the club in Bloomfield Hills for 26 years. “She at that point says, ‘We’ve got a real issue here and it could be severe.’
“From a personal note, I walked out the door and my wife said, ‘What’s the issue?’ And I said, ‘Well, I think Oakland Hills is on fire.’ And she said, ‘What do you mean?’ because we always have issues. And I said, ‘No, literally.’ ”
The fire grabbed national attention, torching one of the most historic private clubhouses in the United States. The club has been host to numerous championships since its inception in 1916, including six U.S. Opens, two U.S. Senior Opens, a U.S. Women’s Amateur, two U.S. Men’s Amateurs and three PGA Championships.
The clubhouse at Oakland Hills Country Club in Bloomfield Township, Michigan, burns on Thursday, February 17, 2022. (Eric Seals/USA TODAY NETWORK)
The cause of the fire in which nobody was injured has yet to be determined, and the Detroit Free Press reported that an exact cause of the conflagration may never be determined. The club had a fire-suppression system, but the flames could have spread inside wooden walls and under floors. The point of ignition may have been destroyed, leaving few clues as investigators pick through charred remains.
Palmer said Monday the club is working with its insurance providers to determine what might be salvageable and what next steps the club will take in rebuilding. It’s too soon to have answers, he said, although the club has initiated conversations with several architectural firms. It likely will take years to rebuild the structure.
One thing is certain after hearing Palmer speak: The golf and many other activities will carry on, even in the short term as the spring season begins. The fire didn’t damage the club’s two courses, the South and the North.
“Keep in mind, besides other than the clubhouse fire, our tennis building, our golf operations building and out maintenance facility were all untouched,” Palmer said. “… Our membership is fully behind us. We will be as strong as ever.
“I can report that at our board meeting this past Saturday morning that the board easily made a unanimous decision and determined that the restored, rebuilt clubhouse will be a replica of what the iconic clubhouse was before the fire. Our membership and the national golf community really made that an easy decision for us to make, because of the outpouring of how special it is – even our (recent) golf course architect, Gil Hanse, who wants our clubhouse to match his beautiful restoration work.”
The recently restored South Course at Oakland Hills Country Club (Courtesy of Oakland Hills)
Hanse and his design partner Jim Wagner in 2021 completed a restoration of the club’s South Course, originally designed by Donald Ross and opened in 1918, and that track is slated to host the U.S. Women’s Open in 2031 and 2042. The South Course ties for No. 23 on Golfweek’s Best ranking of classic courses built before 1960 in the U.S. The club’s North Course ties for No. 196 on that list.
The U.S. Golf Association has voiced its support to Palmer that there should be no issue with the planned Women’s Opens, and the club is still in talks in with the USGA about hosting other possible championships.
“Our partners at the USGA have been incredibly supportive in their calls,” Palmer said.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CaGsIeCMTrE/
That extends all the way to how the club might operate in coming months and years as the clubhouse is rebuilt, everything from what functions might be possible to where will members grab lunch after a round of golf. The USGA has offered its expertise in building temporary structures to help Oakland Hills while the clubhouse is rebuilt, and a local company has provided space for displaced club employees to continue working.
“We want to move quickly, but we want to move slow in order to move fast because we’re really making not just a 2022 decision, but a 2023 and potentially 2024 decision, depending on the process,” Palmer said.
Firefighters from multiple departments remain on the scene the day after the fire, cleaning up equipment and putting out hot spots at Oakland Hills Country Club in Bloomfield Township. (Kelly Jordan/Detroit Free Press)
He said it was a terribly emotional experience watching the clubhouse burn, but he expressed his gratitude that none of the approximately 25 employees who were present were harmed. He said in peak season the clubhouse sometimes has as many as 300 employees present. He also expressed gratitude that the club only “lost things” and not people.
The extent to which things were lost is still being determined. The club is operating as if the building is a total loss, Palmer said, while official word from the insurance company is pending.
The clubhouse also was packed with memorabilia from decades of championships, some of which was salvaged even as the building burned.
Walter Hagen was the first club professional at Oakland Hills and this portrait of him is likely to be among the irreplaceable artefacts lost in this appalling fire – pic.twitter.com/nAZdduUY8o
“We had the fire crews come in and announce to us that they had a window, and asked where was the memorabilia, where was it at?” Palmer said. “And they kept going in and out of the facility and actually passing that (memorabilia) out to our employees, who formed kind of a breadline and loaded that into a van. There are a lot … of our valuable items that got recovered, and we’re just assessing whether they are fully OK.”
It will take time to catalogue what items were lost and what was rescued and its condition, Palmer said. The club is working with its insurance company to assess all those concerns.
“Watching the great work by the firefighters who, between the weather and the wind and where it was going,” Palmer said, “they were fighting an heroic uphill battle right from the start.”
It’s a touchy dance that Oakland Hills and hopeful venues do with the USGA.
If you’re a golf fan and fancy the idea of whacking a little dimpled ball and chasing it for hours, Thursday was a sad day.
But if you’re a golf fan in Michigan, then Thursday was a devastating day because one of the pillars of the state’s extensive golfing community was brought to its knees.
Many watched in horror as live and recorded video and photos streamed across websites and social media while a massive fire tore through the iconic clubhouse at Oakland Hills Country Club, which stands as the shining jewel of championship golf in the Wolverine State.
Anyone who has attended a major at the famous South Course or has wrangled an invitation for a round of golf or a meal at the clubhouse understands what Oakland Hills and its stately and massive clubhouse means. It means nothing less than golf itself.
The most important factor by far is that no injuries were reported. Because that would have turned a day of devastating sadness into a day of unfathomable tragedy.
If you’ve never been to Oakland Hills or think this amounts to just a bunch of privileged rich people losing their fancy dining room, I can assure you it’s a lot more than that. It’s a place where families have gathered, where people have worked and where golf’s history has been written.
Club president Rick Palmer sounded tired while speaking on the phone late Thursday afternoon. He got a call from general manager Christine Pooler at 9:30 a.m. when the fire alarm was pulled and by 6 p.m. he was still assessing the damage and speaking with reporters. There was concern in his voice for the club’s roughly 750 total members who were suddenly displaced from their sanctuary.
“Oakland Hills to our membership is a family, it’s a second family,” he said. “It’s a very proud membership and that translates into our staff and into our leadership team. So the outpouring of devastation is certainly there, but the resolve of us getting through this and coming back better than ever is also there.”
That resolve started with the fire crews who wouldn’t let anyone into the building to try to rescue the club’s extensive collection of golf memorabilia and artifacts. The fire crews asked where some of the memorabilia was located, then passed it out to club employees lined up to take each item.
“It’s a devastating, iconic loss,” Palmer said. “The clubhouse had so much memorabilia and so much history in terms of not only local but national golf events. So to that end, it’s a devastating day.
“But to the credit of our members and our resolve and our team we’re more committed than ever that this won’t affect any of that. Buildings, clubhouses will get rebuilt. But the memorabilia is something that’s the biggest concern. We have recovered some, but we don’t have any idea yet on percentages of what was recovered and what wasn’t.”
Palmer wasn’t sure about the extent of damage to the clubhouse, though it was clearly significant. The Free Press reported that the fire started in the attic and collapsed the roof, with one fire official calling it “almost a total loss.”
If it is a total loss, or even if most of the clubhouse has to be rebuilt, the big question will be what replaces it? An exact replica? A more modern look?
“We will get to that,” Palmer said. “There’s no question we’re going to rebuild bigger and better than ever.
“But in terms of timing and the architecture and what type, all that’s out in front of us. It really has to be what will we do for members temporarily for this coming golf season and undoubtedly next golf season. That’ll be the more immediate plan.”
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The immediate future and how it affects members is the club’s more pressing concern. Palmer said the fire didn’t touch the South Course. The members’ summer golf season won’t be affected.
But there’s also another future, not so far in the distance, that concerns every golf fan in Michigan: The U.S. Open and its next two available dates in 2028 and ’29. After that, the next available date is 2031.
Last summer, the South Course reopened after a 21-month, $12-million restoration that changed the course from its traditional parkland look to an almost links-style venue that would facilitate gallery traffic and showcase a camera-ready course for a major.
It’s a touchy dance that Oakland Hills and hopeful venues do with the U.S. Golf Association when it comes to hosting its marquee event. Neither side openly advertises its explicit interest, but it’s clear Oakland Hills has done everything to land its seventh U.S. Open and its first since 1996.
“I can tell you that we’ve been in contact with the USGA today,” Palmer said. “They have expressed their overwhelming support of Oakland Hills. It certainly does not impact any of the two major announcements that have already come out in terms of the Women’s (Open in 2031 and 2042).
“And as far as the other things that you’re asking about, I really can’t comment other than to say I don’t think this is going to have an impact on those ongoing discussions, but that’s as far as I can go with that.”
For that small ray of hope, at least, we can be thankful on an otherwise dark day.
Contact Carlos Monarrez at cmonarrez@freepress.com and follow him on Twitter @cmonarrez.
Firefighters are battling the blaze at the historic golf club, home to numerous major championships.
The clubhouse at Oakland Hill Country Club in Bloomfield Hills, a suburb of Detroit — and site of numerous major championships — caught fire Thursday morning.
At about 10 a.m., flames licked the clubhouse roof as black smoke billowed.
Several departments responded after the fire broke out in the clubhouse attic. The clubhouse, which was completed in 1922, was adorned with irreplaceable golf tournament memorabilia and art going back a century.
Much of it likely will be lost in the fire or badly damaged. Early reports indicate the fire will destroy the central part of the building.
Oakland Hills Country Club was founded in 1916 by Joseph Mack and Norval Hawkins, two Ford executives, at a meeting of 47 friends and associates at the Detroit Athletic Club.
They decided there would be 140 charter memberships at a cost of $250 apiece.
Walter Hagen, an 11-time major winner, was the club’s first head professional.
Sometime between late October, 1916 and late January, 1917 Donald Ross first visits the Oakland Hills property. He tells Joe Mack, “The Lord intended this for a golf course.” In his commentaries on golf architecture, Golf Has Never Failed Me, Ross comments: “I rarely find a piece of property so well-suited for a golf course.” He designs the South Course around the 10th and 11th holes – holes he will later call the finest consecutive par 4s he has ever designed.
Since then, the club has hosted to 14 golf majors or USGA championships, including six U.S. Opens, two U.S. Senior Opens, a U.S. Women’s Amateur, two U.S. Men’s Amateurs and three PGA Championships — including the 90th PGA Championship in 2008. The club has also hosted the 1922 Western Open, the 1964 Carling World Open, and the 35th Ryder Cup, in 2004.
Oakland Hills is home to two highly rated golf courses. The South Course, designed by Donald Ross and opened in 1918, ties for No. 23 on Golfweek’s Best ranking of classic courses built before 1960 in the U.S. The club’s North Course ties for No. 196 on that list.
The clubhouse was designed by C. Howard Crane and opened in 1922. It has undergone several renovations.
#Chiefs fans exiting the Truman Sports Complex via the south lot were greeted with a brush fire, and shared images and videos of the blaze.
The Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Denver Broncos 22-9 in Week 13, marking their fifth consecutive win of the 2021 NFL season.
One could say the team is currently on fire, but fans were greeted with a different type of fire when they left Arrowhead Stadium after the game. A number of fans captured images and video of a large brush fire near traffic as they waited to exit the south parking lot. The fire was located away from the stadium, but still quite close to bystanders as they headed home after the game.
Chiefs fan Chad Pittenger shared a photo which Josh Webb then shared on Twitter.
It’s unclear how the fire started. With dry and windy conditions, there has been some speculation that a lump of hot coal from tailgating could have sparked the blaze. According to Chiefs Digest’s Matt Derrick, a team spokesperson said the fire has since been put out.
UF fans got a bit of a scare on Saturday when a video was posted of a large cloud of smoke that was rising out of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
The Gator Nation got a bit of a scare on Saturday afternoon when a Twitter user posted a video of a large cloud of smoke that appeared to be rising out of the south end of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
As it turned out, it was a maintenance tractor fire that caused the blaze, which took about an hour for Gainesville Fire and Rescue to fully extinguish. No injuries or structural damage were initially reported, though the incident is still pending further investigation.
Throughout the ordeal, members of Florida’s athletics department have engaged in a humorous commentary of the situation beginning with redshirt junior defensive lineman Zachary Carter, who tweeted the following not long after the initial tweet was posted.
Not to be outdone by his head coach, athletic director Scott Stricklin also got in on the fun, offering up this dad joke that any UF alumn can appreciate.
September Saturdays in #TheSwamp are always hot, so nothing new here.
The video was taken on Stadium Road just outside of the south endzone area with no intervention underway at the time it was recorded.
A video showing a large plume of smoke emanating from the south end of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, the University of Florida’s football venue, was posted on Saturday afternoon by Twitter user @dovescrytoo.
The video was taken on Stadium Road just outside of the south end zone area with no intervention visibly underway at the time it was recorded. A few cars and pedestrians can also be seen passing by.
We will provide updates as information becomes available.
**UPDATE**
“The fire at The Swamp, University of Florida’s venerable football stadium, has been put out. It was caused by a golf cart that caught on fire and is not believed to be structural.”
Source: The fire at The Swamp, University of Florida’s venerable football stadium, has been put out. It was caused by a golf cart that caught on fire and is not believed to be structural.
Previewing Sunday’s San Jose Earthquakes vs. Chicago Fire FC sports betting odds and lines, with MLS betting picks, tips and best bets.
The San Jose Earthquakes (1 win, 0 losses, 1 draw) and Chicago Fire FC (1-0-0) meet in Group B action of the MLS is Back Tournament Sunday at 8 p.m. ET at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex near Orlando, Fla. Below, we preview the San Jose-Chicago betting odds and lines, and make our best MLS bets and picks at BetMGM.
SAN JOSE (+165) is a slight underdog against Chicago FC (+145), but the Earthquakes certainly have enough firepower to outlast anyone. After showing rust in their opening scoreless draw against the Seattle Sounders, the ‘Quakes outlasted the Vancouver Whitecaps 4-3 in a mid-week battle. Chicago picked up a 2-1 win over Seattle earlier in the week, as the Fire started slowly after their initial game against Nashville SC was wiped out. This one is likely for the top spot in the group, and the Earthquakes look to be the best option.
OVER 2.5 (-176) is a bit on the pricy side, but it will be worth it. However, while Over 3.5 (+135) is tempting at a plus number, don’t expect the ‘Quakes to have the same kind of offensive success like they did last time out. Chicago is a lot stingier on defense and it will be a slower go for the Bay Area club.
Want some action in this one? Place an MLS bet with BetMGM today. For more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.
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![WATCH: Ben Hill Griffin Stadium appears to be on fire, per Twitter video [UPDATED]](https://feeds.usatodaysports.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/florida-field-end-zone-1200x795.jpg)
