Alpha Lanes in Troy, N.Y., sustained what was termed as “moderate” damage on Jan. 8 when a fire broke out at the center.
According to the Times Union newspaper, firefighters were called to the center around 11 a.m., and took about 20 minutes to extinguish the blaze.
Although the exact cause of the wire was not disclosed, center employees had been using a heat gun to thaw the center’s pipes, a regular practice when the weather turns frigid. At some point, the inside of a wall caught fire.
Alpha Lanes is a traditional center with an active league and tournament program. Its 17th annual Robert Guild Senior Trio Tournament, for example, paid out $4,095 in prize money, with the winning threesome sharing $1,200. The city of Troy is part of New York state’s “Capital District,” situated close to the state capital city of Albany.