About 60 northern Lancaster County firefighters battled an early-morning blaze today that destroyed a large pavilion at the Adamstown VFW Park in Brecknock Township.

The 1:30 a.m. fire, which started in the building's kitchen area, did about $25,000 damage, and the cause remains under investigation, Fivepointville Fire Chief Esra Hoover said.

The wooden pavilion measured about 40 by 80 feet and contained approximately 30 picnic tables. It was in a park located along Gehman School Road, near Route 897, south of Adamstown.

A neighbor who lives about a mile away from the park spotted the fire and called 911. Upon arrival, firefighters found the kitchen area in flames and the fire spreading across the top of the building, Hoover said.

Firefighters from Fivepointville, Adamstown, Bowmansville, Reamstown, Denver, Smokestown and Martindale responded.

Firefighters had the blaze under  control by 2:30. About half of the pavilion burned, and the entire structure will have to be torn down, Hoover said.

The fire chief estimated damage at  $15,000 to the building and $10,000 to contents. Everything in the kitchen, including a refrigerator and  a couple of stoves, were lost, he said.

A state police fire marshal is  investigating the fire's cause. The   pavilion is an open building, but the  kitchen was closed up, Hoover said.


Staff writer John M. Hoober III can be reached at jhoober@LNPnews.com or 481-6027.