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Workers using a blowtorch Feb. 17 (Photo: Screenshot)
The fire that destroyed the Oakland Hills Country Club clubhouse in Bloomfield Township last month appears accidental and may have been started by maintenance workers with a propane blowtorch on a patio, authorities say. They were drying new rubber flashing intended to keep water out of the building.
Sheriff Michael Bouchard and fire officials played a video at a press conference Thursday. The Feb. 17 recording had been submerged in water and recovered from a basement.
The inquiry continues and findings are not conclusive, Bouchard said. "We shared as much as we can with you today."
Clubhouse ceiling sprinklers were working that day, Township Fire Chief John LeRoy. "There is still a lot of investigation and interviews to do," he added. "But this gives us a good idea where this started and went up the wall."
By the time firefighters arrived at the Maple Road site, the blaze "had quite a jump on us," the chief added.
Watch the 29-minute media conference:
