Jackson golf course fire ruled suspicious
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JACKSON, Tenn. — State Bomb and Arson investigators try to determine what sparked a fire at an east Jackson golf course. Investigators sifted through what is left of the clubhouse at Bent Tree Golf Course. Fire destroyed the building and dozens of golf carts Tuesday. “We’re going to have to take the building down and haul it off and then start construction on a new one,” Jackson Mayor Jerry Gist said. Gist said the city owns the golf course but leases it out. “We had some ice machines, some soft drink machines in there, some counters that had been built over the years,” he said. Firefighters said they got the call around 12 a.m. Tuesday. “It was basically on fire all over,” Jackson Fire Chief Max Stewart said. “We had to go to a defensive mode.” The fire marshal said they believe the fire started in the back of the building and used a bomb and arson K-9 to sniff for accelerant. Stewart called the fire suspicious. “It was well along for that time of day, that time of night,” he said. Gist said they plan to take down what is left of the clubhouse. He said they may have to set up a temporary office at the golf course. “They’re doing very well,” Gist said. “A lot of people play golf there, so we’re going to try to keep it going as quickly as we can.” Gist said the city has insurance and estimates rebuilding could cost close to $200,000. The fire department said no one was hurt. The city said the golf carts destroyed in the fire belong to the company that leases the course. Gist said they plan to meet with an insurance adjuster before rebuilding. If you have information about the fire, call the arson hotline at 1-800-762-3017.
