A huge piece of Genesee County history went up in flames early Friday morning and with it a ton of weekend memories for so many of us.

Reports started rolling in early Friday morning of a fire at the former Nightingale Lanes on Davison Road in Burton. Social media was flooded with videos and pictures of the sky filled with smoke that could be seen for miles. Reports from 911 noted that people driving by saw flames shooting out of the building.

As a result, Davison Road was closed between Center Road and Genese Road as fire crews from Burton and surrounding areas responded to the fire. ABC 12 reported that by 7:30 am the roof had collapsed and the building's walls were starting to cave in.

Nightengale Lanes was a fixture in the area for years. Not just a great place to bowl, it was also a hot night spot for years with live music. The popular local band Newsmaker was always packed the house,  and even rock star Edgar Winter played there in the 90's.

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Sadly, the Nightengale we all knew and loved closed its doors on December 31, 2011, after over 55 years of fun. After that, the building remained vacant until we saw some activity in 2022. Construction crews were spotted tearing down the west side of the building where the bar, also known as Club Nightingale, was located. There was hope the work was a sign of some revitalization, but now it looks like that won't happen.

This story is still developing, and as of now, there are no reports of injuries or indications of what started the blaze. We will keep you up to date as information is made available.

 

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