The Villa Hills Civic Club building burned down early this morning and responders said it is a complete loss.
The initial call was made at 2:48 a.m. to the building at 729 Rogers Road, according to Jeff Wendt, Crescent Springs-Villa Hills fire chief. Callers said that flames were high into the air and extending into the roof at the rear of the civic club.
Wind conditions hampered firefighting efforts and contributed to the rapid spread of the fire, Wendt said.
The blaze was reported under control at 4:30 a.m.
“This morning we had our Kenton County fire investigation team come out,” Wendt said. “We’re confident it started on the back patio area. This morning we had 17 mph sustained winds and 46mph gusting winds. When it started on the deck area it made its way into the structure due to the winds. But it is up to the insurance company now.”
The civic club had propane heaters on the patio, but they were unhooked, Wendt said, so they are still unsure how the fire started. The team left the scene around 7 a.m. The crew then went back with a couple of hot spots to check on things later in the afternoon.
The next step is for the investigator from the insurance company to come out and take photos and make their report, which Wendt said is standard. The fire task force comes out to the scene first then the insurance company. Sometimes their reports match and sometimes they don’t Wendt said.
The building, estimated at $320,000 with $130,000 in contents, is considered a complete loss.
No injuries were reported, and the cause of the fire remains under investigation.
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Mike Martin, Villa Hills Civic Club director, told WCPO that the building was built in 1961 and is a center of activity of activity for the community. The club has hosted countless events for the community through the years. Martin said, like many institutions, that it struggled financially during the pandemic, but they were turning things around.
“I almost want to cry. But again, nobody got hurt. That’s the major thing,” Martin said, “I believe, just standing here without any information of course, that we’re going to rebuild. We’ll come back, better and stronger, and it’ll be a lot of labor doing that. Everybody knows that has gone through tragedy, you put it into perspective.”
The club’s home plays host to events beyond regular Civic Club meetings.
The building played host to a Super Bowl party on Sunday, according to Facebook posts.
The Northern Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame was scheduled Wednesday afternoon to hold its latest induction ceremony, as it does on the third Wednesday of most months of the year.
More from its website:
Article 2 in our Constitution reads as follows: “The object of this club shall be to advance and improve civic conditions and public welfare of the City of Villa Hills and neighboring areas.” We have worked since then to make our community one of the best places to live and raise children.
