The Saint Joe Family owned Golf Course, Juday Creek, was found on fire early Monday morning August 26, 2024 . Firefighters raced to the scene and battled the flames for 4 hours. The fire was first reported by a person walking by at around 6 a.m. but by the time the firefighters arrived they fire had grown exponentially.
Clay Fire Chief Jaren Killian said, “There was an advanced fire when we got on scene.” Not only was this an advanced and growing fire but the limited number of fire hydrants in the area aided the fire in its growth. One firefighter suffered fairly minor injuries and luckily returned back to work that same morning. Fortunately no one was in the building during the fire and no other injuries were reported. The firefighters worked for 4 hours trying to calm down the fire and with their best efforts they managed to save a good amount of the structure.
The course’s manager, Michelle Wittig, stated how this fire made her think about everything that had been destroyed, the family had invested many resources into the golf course and clubhouse. Luckily for the community, the course will reopen only a day after the catastrophe and Mrs Wittig believes they will use the same system they did for COVID, with online bookings and a small trailer setup. “We move on,” Wittig said. “Everyone’s safe.”
“It’s devastating, but we’ll rebuild,” Rogers said. The cause of the fire still remains to be determined and the Indiana State Fire Marshal is conducting an investigation into the matter.
