Yacht Club Member Says Fiery Ashes From Great Chicago Fire Festival Rained Down On Club
(CBS) -- The commodore-elect of the Burnham Park Yacht Club says this past Saturday night, it was like a meteorite shower - as fiery ashes from the Redmoon Theater's Great Chicago Fire Festival rained down on the club.
It was the New Member's Dinner at the Burnham Park Yacht Club on Northerly Island and the evening started out so nicely, says Commodore-Elect Christopher Edmonds.
"We moved, at 6:30, quarter of 7, out onto our patio - which is outside and has an extraordinary view of the city and the harbor. And we served all of our hors d'oeuvres.
"And after that, we were to move into the dining area, which is a white tablecloth, napkin, fancy affair."
Podcast
And then...
"It was like a meteorite shower."
Edmonds says children who were outside had to run in to escape the flaming ash from the Fire Festival.
It's not clear how much damage was done, but Edmonds says the new patio awning alone sustained at least $6,000 in damage.
Redmoon says in a statement, "Our first priority was always the safety of our festival attendees, staff, artists, performers and the surrounding area. We worked directly with the Chicago Fire Department to ensure we exceeded all safety requirements associated with the burning of the GRIT House and we regret any inconvenience that may have occurred at the Yacht Club or their members.
"Individuals affected as a result of Saturday's event, should contact Westrec Marinas who will in turn coordinate with Redmoon to resolve any issues. We will work with Westrec Marinas to ensure any issues caused by Saturday's event are resolved."
