Furnace fire guts rodeo clubhouse

The Sisters Rodeo Association Clubhouse burned Sunday evening, March 24. The fire is thought to have started in a box of rodeo brochures stored near a propane furnace.

The fire was reported by a neighbor at about 9:02 p.m. who saw flames shooting as high as 50 feet above the clubhouse roof. Another neighbor rushed over to check on the rodeo grounds caretaker, who was just getting out of the shower, according to Cloverdale RFPD Assistant Chief Dave Harris.

Harris said the fire started in boxes of brochures and beer chits stored near the front of the building's propane furnace.

"As it got cooler last night, the furnace came on. One box had the open edges facing the flame. They caught on fire," Harris said.

That small blaze then burned through a one-inch aluminum flex hose bringing fuel to the furnace from the 500 gallon propane tank outside. The tank had been filled on March 5. After the fire, only 30 percent of the fuel remained.

According to Harris, each liquid gallon of propane becomes 171 cubic feet of propane gas.

The fire, fed directly by the tank, was intense.

Firefighters arrived, but the open attic design allowed flames to move from the furnace closet near the kitchen area to the entire structure, according to Harris.

The building could not be saved by the three engines and three water tenders, including one engine and one water tender from Sisters. There were 17 Cloverdale firefighters and six or seven from Sisters.

They were able to save some important artwork, however.

"We were very fortunate. We were able to get the original art from last year's program by Dennis McGregor, and the original art from the Vern Smith poster of 1994. Those were the most valuable things," said rodeo board member and secretary/treasurer Judy Bull.

Bull said that most association records, including payments from season ticket holders, were stored in another location.

She said that no one had even been working in the clubhouse for some time, possibly since the monthly meeting on March 12.

Bull said that the rodeo association planned to have the 2,800 square foot building replaced by the time the rodeo comes to town in June. The insured building was valued in the neighborhood of $200,000, not including contents.

"This will not impact the rodeo in the least. It will go on as big as ever. Nor will it impact replacement of the box seat section," Bull said.