Mckinney Courier-gazette > News
Fire destroys Myers Park building
The reception hall at Myers Park was destroyed by fire on Sunday. It will be closed for at least nine months, officials say.
McKinney Courier Gazette/Robert James Hughes
By KRYSTAL DE LOS SANTOS, McKinney Courier-Gazette
A fire on Sunday destroyed the reception hall at Myers Park, leaving brides with no venue for their receptions and Collin County scrambling to repair or rebuild.
“We'll be back. We hope the public doesn't forget about us, and we're just really sorry about any inconvenience,” said Myers Park manager Linda Dixon. “We're just glad no one was hurt.”
The blaze started between 4:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. Sunday. Citizens who were having a family reunion at the park reported the fire to a county official.
“We were told it was spontaneous combustion. There was some kind of weird interaction with the wall and the heat, and the insulation ignited,” Dixon said. “It's used a lot, and it was a terrible loss for us. We're just devastated.”
About 50 weddings have taken place this year at the facility, and park officials had booked several wedding receptions in the coming months.
Dixon said the facility will be closed for at least nine months. The insurance company is determining whether the building can be repaired or whether it must be razed and rebuilt.
“We're trying to put it on the fast track because it's really a heavily-used facility in the community,” Dixon said. “We've been getting money back to people (who paid to rent the facility) as fast as we can. We've been working all week to get our events rescheduled and trying to find our brides another place to get married. All the nearby venues have been very understanding.”
County Fire Marshal Steve Deffibaugh said the exact cause of the fire is unknown, but that it wasn't intentional, electrical or appliance-related. It originated between the inner and outer walls on the southeast corner of the building, he said.
“As far as I know, this is the first facility I can remember in the county that has had any substantial fire damage,” he said, “at least as long as I've been here.”
The reception hall was built in the late 1970s, Deffibaugh said. He estimates the cost of the damage at $75,000. The fire burned so hot in one area that it warped the steel beams.
Dixon said she hopes the community will continue to patronize the park. The fire spared other buildings on the property, including a gazebo on a lake that is a popular spot for outdoor weddings.
About the reception hall, she said, “It'll be back and better than ever.”
Contact Krystal De Los Santos at krystal.delossantos@scntx.com
“We'll be back. We hope the public doesn't forget about us, and we're just really sorry about any inconvenience,” said Myers Park manager Linda Dixon. “We're just glad no one was hurt.”
The blaze started between 4:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. Sunday. Citizens who were having a family reunion at the park reported the fire to a county official.
“We were told it was spontaneous combustion. There was some kind of weird interaction with the wall and the heat, and the insulation ignited,” Dixon said. “It's used a lot, and it was a terrible loss for us. We're just devastated.”
About 50 weddings have taken place this year at the facility, and park officials had booked several wedding receptions in the coming months.
Dixon said the facility will be closed for at least nine months. The insurance company is determining whether the building can be repaired or whether it must be razed and rebuilt.
“We're trying to put it on the fast track because it's really a heavily-used facility in the community,” Dixon said. “We've been getting money back to people (who paid to rent the facility) as fast as we can. We've been working all week to get our events rescheduled and trying to find our brides another place to get married. All the nearby venues have been very understanding.”
County Fire Marshal Steve Deffibaugh said the exact cause of the fire is unknown, but that it wasn't intentional, electrical or appliance-related. It originated between the inner and outer walls on the southeast corner of the building, he said.
“As far as I know, this is the first facility I can remember in the county that has had any substantial fire damage,” he said, “at least as long as I've been here.”
The reception hall was built in the late 1970s, Deffibaugh said. He estimates the cost of the damage at $75,000. The fire burned so hot in one area that it warped the steel beams.
Dixon said she hopes the community will continue to patronize the park. The fire spared other buildings on the property, including a gazebo on a lake that is a popular spot for outdoor weddings.
About the reception hall, she said, “It'll be back and better than ever.”
Contact Krystal De Los Santos at krystal.delossantos@scntx.com
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