Fire destroys Idaho ski lodge co-owned by Bruce Willis
FAIRFIELD, Idaho (AP) - Fire investigators are trying to determine the cause of a Monday morning blaze that destroyed the main lodge at Soldier Mountain Ski Resort, a small ski operation owned by actor Bruce Willis.
Camas County Chief Deputy Brian Miller said the lodge at the base of the resort and an adjacent ski rental building were destroyed. Nobody was hurt.
The resort, located 12 miles north of here in the Sawtooth National Forest, is owned by Willis through his Idaho-based company, Valley Entertainment Group.
Willis, who has a home in nearby Hailey, has been working with forest officials on plans to expand the resort. Messages left with Willis' spokesman by the Associated Press were not immediately returned Monday.
Reports indicate the fire started at the north end of the lodge where there is a fireplace, but the cause of the blaze has not been officially determined, said Shelly Scott, Valley Entertainment Group office manager.
A state fire marshal was expected to investigate the fire, first reported about 7:30 a.m.
There was no immediate dollar estimate of the damage. A Boise TV station, KTVB, reported the lodge was about 50 years old.
Scott said it's too soon to talk about rebuilding. A new lodge was part of the new master plan for the resort, but the goal was to hold off on expansion until skier visits had grown from the current 16,000 per year to about 30,000, Scott said. The resort employs about 50 people during the ski season.
"We'll just kind of see what the insurance is ... We'll have to decide if we want to build something similar or if we want to build something larger," Scott said.
Scott said employees were at the lodge Sunday, closing the site down for the season. The resort's last ski day was Saturday.
Fairfield Mayor David Hanks said the damage is a blow to the community.
The resort has been "one thing in the community that stands out," Hanks said. "That's usually what comes up when people think about Fairfield. It's something that's very important to our community and how we survive.
"During the winter time, they are very instrumental in keeping our downtown businesses open," he added.
Camas County Chief Deputy Brian Miller said the lodge at the base of the resort and an adjacent ski rental building were destroyed. Nobody was hurt.
The resort, located 12 miles north of here in the Sawtooth National Forest, is owned by Willis through his Idaho-based company, Valley Entertainment Group.
Willis, who has a home in nearby Hailey, has been working with forest officials on plans to expand the resort. Messages left with Willis' spokesman by the Associated Press were not immediately returned Monday.
Reports indicate the fire started at the north end of the lodge where there is a fireplace, but the cause of the blaze has not been officially determined, said Shelly Scott, Valley Entertainment Group office manager.
A state fire marshal was expected to investigate the fire, first reported about 7:30 a.m.
There was no immediate dollar estimate of the damage. A Boise TV station, KTVB, reported the lodge was about 50 years old.
Scott said it's too soon to talk about rebuilding. A new lodge was part of the new master plan for the resort, but the goal was to hold off on expansion until skier visits had grown from the current 16,000 per year to about 30,000, Scott said. The resort employs about 50 people during the ski season.
"We'll just kind of see what the insurance is ... We'll have to decide if we want to build something similar or if we want to build something larger," Scott said.
Scott said employees were at the lodge Sunday, closing the site down for the season. The resort's last ski day was Saturday.
Fairfield Mayor David Hanks said the damage is a blow to the community.
The resort has been "one thing in the community that stands out," Hanks said. "That's usually what comes up when people think about Fairfield. It's something that's very important to our community and how we survive.
"During the winter time, they are very instrumental in keeping our downtown businesses open," he added.