1:51Fire destroyed the clubhouse of the Minnesota Horse and Hunt Club in Prior Lake on Tuesday morning, authorities said.
"It rips your heart out," said Terry Correll, who's been the clubhouse's general manager for 38 years. "We're going to be out of the restaurant business until we can rebuild. It was a beautiful clubhouse, believe me."
The club, at 2920 E. 220th St., hosts numerous sporting and hunting events. It maintains and manages 600 acres of hunting and shooting grounds where members hunt pheasant, partridge, turkey, waterfowl and other game, as well as five sporting clay-shooting courses, and rifle and pistol shooting ranges.
wThe clubhouse also hosted many weddings, banquets and other events.
"We consider the building a total loss at this point," said Prior Lake Fire Chief Doug Hartman.
The cause of the fire, which was reported about 6:20 a.m., is under investigation.
"It's a sad day for all associated with the Club," a notice on its Facebook page posted early Tuesday afternoon read, "but rest assured that we will rise like the mythical phoenix from the ashes to be better than ever."
There is "nothing suspicious" about how the blaze started, Sheriff Kevin Studnicka said.
