DEDHAM - One firefighter went to the hospital with minor injuries yesterday as the office and snack bar for a popular Rte. 109 driving range and miniature golf course was gutted by fire yesterday, said Deputy Fire Chief Don Beltis.
The fire, which tore through the roof of the office of McGolf Driving Range and miniature golf and left the building a shambles, is under investigation, Beltis said. Firefighters have yet to determine the cause of the blaze, he said.
An unnamed caller reported the fire by cell phone to the Dedham department at around 5 a.m., Beltis said. Firefighters arrived at McGolf Cafe and Creamery at 150 Bridge St. to find a one-story building engulfed in flames. Beltis said Quincy, Norwood, Boston and Westwood fire departments helped local firefighters put the flames out in about 45 minutes.
Beltis said one firefighter was treated and released from a local hospital yesterday morning. The deputy chief declined to reveal the name of the hurt firefighter or to describe his injuries. No one else was hurt, he said.
The building, Beltis said, was used to rent clubs for the attached miniature golf course and driving range, and it also served as an ice cream stand and snack bar.
The course and range were not damaged, but the building will probably have to be demolished, said Bob Legendre, 31, who lives across the street from the course and works as a landscaping manager for McGolf's.
"It was definitely shock and a lot of disbelief, to be sure," Legendre, who has worked for the business since he was 14, said when asked about the reaction from owners and employees.
Bill McInerney, who has owned the business for 27 years, said he first learned of the fire when Legendre called him yesterday morning and told him to turn on the television.
McInerney said he didn't have an estimate on the damage yet, but he vowed to reopen, whether it meant rebuilding the snack bar or operating out of a trailer on the property.
The company employs about 10 people, Legendre said, and is a popular summertime spot. The business is scheduled to open full-time for the season on Feb. 20.
"We were trying to stay open during the weekends because the weather was so nice," he said.
Daily News staff writer Sean Murphy can be reached at 781-433-8337, or by e-mail at smurphy@cnc.com.
