The Philo Grange Hall burned to the ground early Sunday evening. The glow from the blaze could be seen from as far away as the Holmes Ranch and the top of the Ukiah grade as flames raced through the entirely wood structure. The destruction of the popular Valley meeting place caused local residents to remember the many uses of the hall including everything from voting precinct station to high school drama stage. When the Grange Hall was first erected in 1939, it was a popular weekend dance hall. most recently the attractive old structure held exercise classes, amateur theatre productions, an occasional political meeting, and square dance sessions.
Charmian Blattner recalled many of the local families who helped build the hall including the Moores, the Flynns, the Reillys of Reilly Heights, Clarence and Bill Dightman, Frank Cook, and Clyde and Mary Price. Another old timer lamented the loss of the antique theatre roll down curtain gracing the stage on the main floor with all of its old advertisements. “Lots of memories went up in smoke Sunday night,” said Mrs. Blattner.
According to Anderson Valley Volunteer Fire Department Chief, Dave Hutchinson, the blaze was first called in at approximately 6:40 Sunday evening. A counselor at Bachmann Hill School, located on the east side of Highway 128 opposite the Grange Hall, called the fire in to Boonville. Hutchinson said his department at first thought it a faulty alarm call as a newly-installed smoke alarm system at the Grange Hall had malfunctioned several times the previous week. but in the back of his mind, the Chief was aware that someone had attempted twice in as many years to light the old hall on fire. Each of those attempts to destroy the structure was thwarted when alert passersby either extinguished the blaze themselves or called for assistance from volunteer fire fighters to help them put out the flames.
The third and final suspected arson was fatal. The building was half engulfed in flames by the time the first units arrived on the scene only minutes after receiving the alarm. Neighbors, including David and Janese Summit, reported hearing an explosion at about the time the fire was reported by Bachmann Hill counselor, Mr. Creed.
Chief Hutchinson said he was first on the scene at approximately 6:50 p.m. He said the rear of the building, which is the kitchen area, was mostly gone with flames working at the middle of the upper floor. All the Anderson Valley fire units arrived at the scene and were pouring water on the blaze and nearby power and telephone lines by 7:00 p.m. A unit from Comptche was also called to help fight the fire. As the trucks exhausted their supplies of water, and retreated for more, a pump was rigged up to the Bachmann Hill swimming pool whose contents were used to keep water on the power lines and the fire fighting vehicles nearest the blaze.
As the firemen battled the inferno, traffic backed up in both directions along Highway 128. Travelers were not permitted to pass until nearly eight o’clock when the flames finally subsided to where passage along the normally busy road was safe. Wanda and Fritz Kuny occupied the first car in a line of vehicles along 128 south of the blaze. They said they were held up for nearly an hour. Many locals turned out to watch the fire and to lament the loss of a building nearly all at one time or another had enjoyed the use of.
Many onlookers were impressed by the efficiency and tenacity with which the volunteer fighters went about their tasks. It was a losing battle from the time the first fire truck arrived, but the volunteers stayed with the blaze until nothing remained of the hall but a few scraps of sheet metal and smoldering beams.
Arson is assumed to be the cause of the fire. Power to the building had been shut off the previous day so old and faulty wiring has been ruled out as a possible cause of the fire. At least one person in the area immediately before the blaze was reported has been questioned, as have owners of several vehicles parked near the Grange Hall in the hour the conflagration began.
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