CRANSTON, R.I. (WPRI) — It’s been a decade since the Edgewood Yacht Club burned down.
The building, which at the time of the fire contained several artifacts, photos and trophies, was a total loss. The only piece left was the dock.
More than one foot of snow fell that night, making it all the more difficult for the firefighters battling the flames.
While lightning was detected in the area that night, it was never proven that a lightning strike caused the fire.
Investigators ultimately determined it was an electrical fire after crews found lumps of copper in the wreckage. They believed those lumps of copper used to be wires that ran through the club.
The club, which overlooks Narragansett Bay, was rebuilt seven years after the fire. In total, the project cost $4 million.
The support system of the new building consists of 80-foot steel piles filled with concrete that are buried roughly 65 feet into the bay floor.
The pilings themselves and their framework cost approximately $800,000 of the total cost to rebuild, according to former commodore Wayne Kezirian.
