HANOVER TWP., Ohio — Multiple fire departments battled a blaze at Hanover Reserve Weddings and Events in Hanover Township for hours Sunday night.
Officials asked people to stay clear of the area while the fire was still active. The state fire marshal has been called in to investigate the cause of the fire, but Hanover Township Fire Chief Phillip Clark said they believe it started in a propane fireplace inside the building.
Clark said the building's roof is constructed of metal, Styrofoam and plywood, which created challenges for those fighting the flames.
"It got into the plywood, which got in the middle between the plywood and the metal roof, so the Styrofoam was feeding the fire," said Clark.
He said it took roughly 100,000 gallons of water to extinguish the fire, which persisted for hours. Without fire hydrants in the area, most of that water came from tankers.
A wedding party was celebrating inside the building when the fire broke out; everyone evacuated safely and no one was hurt.
The wedding venue, located on Millville-Oxford Road, just opened its doors in May. The 15,000-square-foot building sits on 45 acres and cost roughly $3.1 million to build.
Public records show no issues with permits or recent inspections for the building and fire inspectors said the owners of the facility went above and beyond what's required to protect customers.
"They paid extra to have the water line brought back to the place," said Clark.
Officials have not provided information on the amount of damage the fire has done to the facility.
