Oakland Hills Country Club Fire Caused $80m Worth Of Damage - Investigators

Investigators believe they know how and where last month's huge fire started at the historic Oakland Hills Country Club's 100-year-old clubhouse in Michigan.

The fire ripped through the iconic clubhouse and has caused around $80m worth of damage at the iconic Major venue. It was also confirmed that the club is set to re-build the clubhouse.

It appears to have started on the east side of the building where maintenence workers were painting before using a blow torch to dry and waterproof 'rubberised flashing' to create a waterproof seal between a newly-laid patio and the clubhouse wall.

A fire appeared to have started inside the wall and a 'balloon' form construction meant the flames travelled upwards via a chimney-style structure. Video has emerged after CCTV footage was able to be recovered from the basement servers, which were submerged in water. The footage shows workers notice a fire before using a garden hose to try and put it out.

Firefighters then breached the wall and were met with huge smoke and flames, which spread through the building. 

The full investigation will take a year but a preliminary report is due to be finalised by April. The police department say there is no suspected criminality at this point and thanked the employees for ensuring nobody was hurt and firefighters could recover artefacts.

Founded in 1916, Oakland Hills has previously hosted six US Opens, three PGA Championships and the 2004 Ryder Cup. The iconic clubhouse, which was designed and completed in August 1922, included 24 room-and-baths for overnight accommodation, as well as a number of iconic rooms depicting the history of the club.

Watch the full address from the Oakland County Sheriff's Office