Six days ago, the Bay Mills Casino in Brimley, Michigan, suffered from a devastating fire. Yet, the casino is ready to reopen less than a week after the disaster.
The Fire Damaged the Casino’s Expensive Equipment
The fire in the Bay Mills Casino was put out before spreading out of control. Despite the sprinklers and the firefighters’ best efforts, the venue’s expensive equipment got damaged in the incident. Whitney Gravelle, the tribal chair of the Bay Mills Indian Community, shared that the damage was limited but it “hit where it hurts.”
The fire took its toll on the casino’s ATMs, slot machines, credit card system, reservation system, phone lines and surveillance system. While the Bay Mills tribe didn’t release an official estimate of the damages, it shared that they probably amount to thousands of dollars.
The disaster struck on Saturday. Thanks to the venue’s built-in fire alarms, sprinklers kicked in and prevented the fire from engulfing the whole casino. Firefighters were quick to arrive and take care of the rest.
Luckily, all workers and visitors left the venue unscathed until the fire was put out. After that, the Bay Mills casino allowed guests to remain in the hotel and reimbursed those who opted to leave.
As the Wild Bluff Golf Course was left undamaged, players were still allowed to go and enjoy a game of golf. The nearby stores and the local gas station also remained open. However, the casino canceled reservations for the next five days and returned the money to the guests.
The Bay Mills Casino Is Ready to Reopen
Speaking about reservations, the hotel’s reservation system is yet to be repaired. However, the rest of the systems were put in order thanks to the hard work of the Bay Mills tribe. The IT department managed to set everything back up in no time and will now wait for a new reservation system to arrive.
Thanks to the efforts, the Bay Mill casino will open its doors once again, just six days after the fire. The casino will take reservations with pen and notebook until the new system arrives.
Gravelle called the repairs a “monumental effort” and thanked everyone who took part in them. She also thanked the customers for being so understanding and added that she is looking forward to welcoming guests once again.
Gravelle has been the tribal chair for over a year now. Her composed nature helped to mitigate the damage and demonstrated that she is fit for the position.