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Shortly before 3:15 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 4, in Cecil County, members of the Singerly Fire Company were called to the Elk Lanes bowling alley, when a fire broke out in the mechanical room in the back of the building, sounding the alarm system.
According to the Maryland State Fire Marshal, it took a crew of 35 firefighters approximately an hour and a half to get the fire under control, but not before it caused an estimated $3 million in damage, forcing a temporary closure of the bowling alley.
Officials noted that a smoke alarm and fire alarm were both present and activated, but there were no sprinklers in the building.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Elk Lanes is expected to be closed indefinitely as the owners make repairs and clean up the damage caused by the blaze.
“Thank you all for checking up on us during this morning’s fire at the lanes,” according to the owner. “No one was in the building at the time - the fire was contained to the back mechanics area with damage mostly to tools and an electrical box.
“We do have soot and smoke damage throughout the building but not anything that can’t be cleaned,” they continued. "Once the insurance company gives an update we will move forward with the cleanup and repair any damage. Hopefully, things will run smoothly and we can get back to leagues and open bowling within a few weeks.”
According to the Cecil Harford USBC Association, the bowling alley will be closed for at least two or three weeks, and the planned 59th Women’s Championship scheduled for this weekend has been postponed.
Agents with the Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives assisted Deputy State Fire Marshals during the investigation, which officials say is the standard operating procedure in any fire involving large, commercial structures.
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