There's not much left of the Kings Country Club clubhouse building that burned down July 7 in a suspected case of arson. The charred rubble was still there Saturday: Blackened filing cabinets, singed desks, wood charcoal. A chimney with a fireplace insert sticking out six feet above the ground stood at one end of what used to be the clubhouse, at least part of which came from the original Hanford High School.

Two staircases ended in midair where the exterior walls used to be.

The debris is a reminder that there are a lot of unanswered questions about what happened.

If investigators know anything, they are keeping mum about it.

"With some good info, we're aggressively pursuing leads," said Mike Virden, assistant Kings County fire chief.

Some club members speculated that the fire might have a connection to several blazes that have occurred in the Laton area in the last few months.

"We've had a number of fires in Laton. Whether or not they're all connected, I'm going to let the professional investigators figure that out," said Jim Kilner, Kings County fire chief.

Laton, located approximately one mile from the country club, is across the Kings River in Fresno County.

Kilner confirmed that Fresno County investigators are involved.

Among club members interviewed Saturday, there was a lot of fondness for the old building and a lot of questions about what kind of structure will replace it.

Until a new clubhouse is in place -- likely two years away -- members will be in a tent and modular trailers.

A vote several weeks ago among some 300 of the club's 435 members registered 69 percent in favor of renovating the old clubhouse instead of building an elaborate new clubhouse.

The renovation was well under way when the fire destroyed the structure.

"I always loved it. I wanted to keep it like it was," said Hanford resident Chuck Gibson, one of those who voted to renovate.

Gibson said his parents attended high school in the building.

Gibson and other members said they couldn't fathom that anybody associated with the country club would be involved in the fire.

Some members downplayed the significance of the vote.

"Either way, it wasn't a big deal," said Jim Williams, a Hanford resident.

Member Gary Kazanjian said the vote in favor of renovation was a reflection of the relatively modest income level of members compared to other country clubs.

"A lot of members probably wouldn't have been able to afford the (original plans) for the new clubhouse," Kazanjian said, calling it "too much."

He figures the new clubhouse to be built in the future will fall somewhere between the cost of the remodel and the price of the original new clubhouse plan that got voted down.

Members remained in the same position as the general public: Wondering exactly what happened.

"It would be nice if the sheriff could catch whoever set it," said Ron Probasco, country club president.

The reporter can be reached at 583-2432.

(July 20, 2008)