Probe begins into fire at Old Club on Harsens Island that destroyed homes
Harsens Island — Authorities are investigating what sparked a blaze Wednesday on Harsens Island on Lake St. Clair that has destroyed at least six homes at the historic resort and yacht club Old Club.
Six homes in the 9900 block of South Channel Drive were destroyed, while two other homes had extensive damage. The homes are primarily vacation residences used in the summer. No one was residing there, the Old Club general manager said Wednesday.
No injuries were reported and no estimate of damages had been determined yet, according to authorities.
The cause had not been determined, said Clay Township Fire Chief George Rose, whose crews responded along with multiple other agencies. "We will be checking that tomorrow."
Hours after the blaze broke out, a police presence remained at the dark, windswept scene, keeping visitors away. Officers were expected to remain overnight.
Old Club officials said in a statement they were "devastated to see the most iconic and historic gems of Harsens Island, the candy colored boardwalk cottages that have stretched to the tip of the island for decades, succumb to destruction by fire ... There were thankfully no injuries other than to our hearts."
Calls about the fire came into 911 just before 1 p.m. Wednesday, according to St. Clair County’s emergency management division.
The fire broke out on the eastern shore of the island in a remote area where people access their homes by boat.
“It’s really a tough spot where the (homes) are at,” said Mark White, St. Clair County’s emergency management deputy director.
White said several fire boats were dispatched to the waterfront to help get the fire under control. On the island, fire trucks staged their response from a parking lot several blocks away from where the homes are located.
In addition to Clay Township, Fire Departments from Ira Township, Algonac, Marine City and St. Clair responded to the scene; departments from Chesterfield Township and New Baltimore in neighboring Macomb County also were dispatched.
“It’s wiped out the southern half of our county for fire resources,” White said.
The fire was brought under control Wednesday afternoon, and extinguished by 6 p.m., Rose said.
The history of the Old Club dates back 150 years to 1872, when a group of sportsmen met at a downtown Detroit bookstore to organize the St. Clair Fishing and Shooting Club of Detroit. That year, for a total cost of about $1,500, the founders constructed 26 boathouses and a clubhouse — all on stilts.
For 68 years, the Old Club was only accessible by ferry boat. Conveniently for Detroit sportsmen, ferry service to the club from the foot of Woodward Avenue took just an hour on the steamer Tashmoo’s Detroit-to-Port Huron route, which launched in 1890 and included a stop at the Old Club. A bridge to Harsens Island built in 1940 made the Old Club accessible by land as well as water.
In April 1926, the original clubhouse was largely destroyed in a fire. The present-day clubhouse was constructed that year.
On Wednesday, club officials said its board of directors would bring in a team of environmental specialists to advise on clean up and any environmental effects.
"We are also engaging engineering expertise to begin rehabilitation of the site. Six housing structures of historic significance that have long been family cottages were lost today, but we intend to restore the property back to its historic charm," their statement said. "The Old Club celebrated its 150 Year Anniversary last season and thisunfortunate setback, while heartbreaking, will not deter us from continuing a century and a half of tradition."
Harsens Island has about 1,000 or more residents and is located about 54 miles northeast of Detroit. It can only be accessed by boat and the Champion Auto Ferry. The collapse of the ferry's dock in 2019 idled the ferry for several days, prompting discussions of building a bridge, which hasn't materialized.
kruble@detroitnews.com