The Citizen

SENNETT -- It seemed like an ordinary day at the Highland Park Golf Club for Sasha Dunn, a waitress at the club's restaurant.

"We went through the kitchen and we didn't see anything or smell anything," said the 21 year old from Auburn. "A minute later we saw black smoke from the kitchen door."

At 2:10 p.m. Tuesday, an anonymous call was made to Cayuga County 911 reporting a grease fire in the kitchen of the restaurant, according to Cayuga County Sheriff Dave Gould. Heavy flames quickly spread to the rest of the building, causing the roof to crumble. The building is a total loss, officials said, but the golf course was spared.

The blaze did not claim any lives or cause serious injuries. Lieutenant Scott Shaw, of the Auburn fire department, sprained his knee getting off of the building's roof. He was transported to Auburn Memorial Hospital for treatment and has since been released. Several other firefighters were treated at the scene for heat exhaustion, Gould said.

The Office of State Fire Prevention will conduct an investigation, Gould said, to determine the fire's exact cause.

For more, read Wednesday's Citizen