By CASSANDRA MICKENS / Associate Editor

HOOVER — A March 25 fire at the Inverness Country Club has been ruled to be accidental.

Hoover Fire Department Executive Director Rusty Lowe said in a March 26 news release that rags saturated with cleaning fluid used to clean kitchen appliances were discarded in a hamper on the loading dock and subsequently ignited other discarded materials.

Fire crews received a fire alarm activation call at about 9:30 p.m. March 25, after the club closed for the day. No injuries were reported.

When crews arrived at the scene, they discovered a fire on the loading dock. The blaze spread to the wall and roof on the east side exterior of the building. Crews put out the fire in 15 minutes with assistance from the North Shelby Fire District.

Fire damage was limited to the building exterior and roof, Lowe said in a previous news release. The attic and part of the building interior sustained water damage due to fire sprinkler activation.