Fire Guts Oxon Hill Social Hall

A popular Knights of Columbus social hall on the Oxon Hill-District line was mostly destroyed in a fire overnight, Prince George's County fire department spokesman Mark Brady said. No one was inside the building during the blaze, and no injuries were reported.

Brady said the brick, one-story structure known as Byrne Manor had "heavy fire conditions through the roof" and throughout the interior when firefighters arrived about 2 a.m. Tuesday.

He said the building, located at 1501 Southern Ave., was a "total loss," with damage estimated at $1 million. The fire was reported by residents on the D.C. side of Southern Avenue who spotted the flames and smoke from their homes.

Byrne Manor is a well-known venue for dance parties and concerts. In April, a Prince George's County sheriff's deputy working an off-duty security assignment was struck by a sport-utility vehicle and seriously injured while trying to stop a man who had allegedly been involved in an altercation inside the building.

Brady said he did not believe there had been any events at the hall Monday evening. Firefighters were searching the inside of the structure this morning in an attempt to determine the cause of the blaze.