Investigators look into cause of fire that destroyed Lutsen Lodge
LUTSEN, Minn. — Hot spots are still popping up at the Lutsen Lodge as investigators continue to look into what caused a devastating fire on Tuesday.
The fire, which was first reported shortly after midnight, destroyed the historic resort on the North Shore.
The Minnesota Fire Marshall on Wednesday afternoon released information on the property's most recent inspection. It found seven violations in July of 2023, four of which were repaired. They added that it's too early in the investigation to determine if the outstanding violations played a role in Tuesday morning's fire.
It was a multi-department effort to put out the flames.
Lutsen Fire Chief Steven Duclos says crews will continue to monitor the rubble for the next few days as sprinklers saturate it with water pumped from Lake Superior. Duclos has been with the department for 19 years, but has only been the chief for three weeks.
MORE: Hennepin Co. trash incinerator needs to be shut down by next year, environmental activists say
He said he had fond memories of working at the lodge nearly 20 years ago; he met his wife there while working in the kitchens.
Many were reminiscing on the lodge's Facebook post about fond memories and stays. The resort is an especially popular spot for weddings and honeymoons.
It's been around, in a few forms, since 1885, when Swedish immigrant Charles Nelson opened a small fishing camp near the mouth of the Poplar River. The family eventually built a hotel to accomodate the guests that came to stay with them.
In the 1920s, the hotel added a lobby, which was later destroyed by a fire in 1948. Then the Lutsen Lodge was built in 1949, but burned down two years later. The most current version was a replica built in 1952.