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Emergency crews in Rensselaer County were called just before midnight on Friday, Dec. 23, with reports of a structure fire at the Hoosick Falls Country Club, located on Richmond Avenue, according to Hoosick Falls Police.
Multiple agencies responded and found heavy fire conditions on the building’s north side.
Firefighters were hindered by the ongoing winter storm, which saw heavy snow, strong winds, and extremely cold temperatures, police said.
Flames gutted the building, which was deemed a total loss.
On Friday, Dec. 30, police said an investigation had determined that the fire was started accidentally by a portable propane forced air heater that ignited combustible material.
The propane fuel, coupled with the high winds, allowed the fire to easily spread throughout the building, police said.
There were no reports of injuries stemming from the fire.
In a Facebook post Tuesday, Dec. 27, the Hoosick Falls Country Club said its annual New Year’s Eve celebration and dinner would be moved to the Hoosac School, a boarding school located on Pine Valley Road.
“We would like to extend the huge thank you to Hoosac School for their kindness in donating the space,” reads the post.
The school’s headmaster, Dean Foster, told WNYT several people in the community reached out to him in the days after the fire.
“Hoosac School is a boarding school of 220 students. They all live here, so we have to feed them,” Foster told the outlet.
“So every day we are doing at least 250 at breakfast, lunch and dinner, so our kitchen is more than able to accommodate a one night dinner.”
The Hoosick Falls Country Club’s New Year’s Eve celebration gets underway at 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 31.
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