Fire destroys Patrick club

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More than 70 firefighters and public safety officials from here and several surrounding civilian communities responded to a fire that destroyed most of the officers club Jan. 31.

Everyone was evacuated safely at about 7 p.m. when workers noticed smoke in the building. First responders from the base were quickly joined by others, base officials said.

Base officials are starting to calculate the damage to the building and its contents. Damage assessments, clean-up operations and an investigation into the cause of the fire are ongoing.

“Our officers club sustained extensive damage. It’s a huge loss to the Patrick community,” said Lt. Col. Rick Czyzewski, 45th Mission Support Group deputy commander. “There is no timeline on the investigation. We’re looking into transferring as many of the programs and services offered at the officers club to other facilities on base.”

The 35,000 square foot club has been at its current location since 1951. It has about 3,800 members and is the hub of many social functions and special events on the base such as weddings and various civic-club meetings.