Pole barn fire devastates community gathering spot in Casco Township
CASCO TOWNSHIP, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) - A fire tore through a two-story pole barn at Perch Point Conservation Club in Casco Township.
There were no injuries as a result of this fire and no foul play is suspected, but a place of gathering for community groups all across St. Clair County is lost.
"It's heartbreaking just when I pulled up here, they didn't have to say anything to me. My heart sunk," said Todd Allmond, president of Perch Point.
Allmond spoke with CBS News Detroit days after Saturday's fire, staring at a shell of a building that housed decades of memories.
"We spent so much time organizing and keeping the place setup for people," Allmond says.
People, and groups, like the Rimrock Acres 4-H Club, a club that serves several counties in St. Clair.
"All the things that we've lost, there was just so much in that building," says Linda Thueme, a 4-H leader with Rimrock Acres.
Donated mounts, targets, chairs, tables and more were lost. Thueme says for their club, meetings, activities and an overall large place to meet to prepare for their big events like fairs, were given to them in this pole barn.
"We've made a lot of friendships over the years and we're a close family. We really are, we all look out for each other, it's really a loss, it's really hard," she said. "All these little things here that just effected so many people. Our scout troops came in here, they had their little soap box derby racing with the little cars in here, there was just so much and just became such an awesome building."