ESCONDIDO–An abandoned clubhouse in Escondido was destroyed by major fire early Wednesday morning.
The Escondido Fire Department received a report just before 5:30 a.m. of a structural fire at the former Escondido Country Club, located on 1800 West Country Lane.
Escondido fire crews were assisted by neighboring fire departments including San Marcos, Vista, Valley Center and Carlsbad. In all, 10 fire engines, 3 trucks, 2 rescue ambulances and 3 Battalion Chiefs responded to the fire.
It took several fire crews about 12 hours to fully extinguish the blaze. Due to the heavy fire conditions and the clubhouse being abandoned, no firefighters entered the structure.
There were no injuries to firefighters or civilians.
Last Wednesday, the Escondido City Council voted 3 to 2 to approve a project to build 380 homes on the 109 acres site.
The clubhouse and golf course location has been a fierce battleground between the Escondido Country Club Homeowners Organization, who opposed plans to build news homes on the land, and Beverly Hills businessman Michael Schlesinger, who bought the shuttered property in 2012, and wants to transform it into “The Villages” housing project.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
