Lutsen Lodge arson charges: Long road ahead for former owner, resort
Lutsen Lodge fire: Long road ahead after charges
Following charges related to a fire that burned down the historic Lutsen Lodge at Lutsen Mountains, FOX 9’s Rob Olson spoke with a Minnesota north shore journalist who details the long road ahead for the resort and accompanying trial.
LUTSEN, Minn. (FOX 9) - Joe Friedrichs, a longtime north shore journalist, was one of the first reporters on the scene of the fire that destroyed the historic Lutsen Lodge nearly two years ago.
Since then, he’s extensively dug into the story, including long interviews with owner Bryce Campbell, who fell under a cloud of suspicion from the public very early on.
Now that Campbell is charged with arson and insurance fraud, Friedrichs cautions the case is not that simple.
"The public perception has largely been they got him, he’s guilty, done," Friedrichs told FOX 9.
"And that is not the reality. We’re still dealing with a lot of circumstantial things and there’s a long road ahead."
The investigation
What we know:
Campbell, who resides mainly in Canada, was arrested in Michigan earlier this week and is being held until he’s extradited to Minnesota.
In the criminal complaint, investigators say Campbell admitted to returning to Lutsen Lodge just before midnight on Feb. 5, 2024, to retrieve something from his office.
The fire was reported about a half hour later by the overnight watchman, who saw smoke rising through the floor from the basement.
The complaint documents a dire financial situation for Campbell, owing around $1.5 million in overdue payments. It also detailed emails between staff the days before the fire noting they would no longer make their payroll.
There are also messages that Campbell sent, saying "burn it" in response to various problems, including a default letter sent by their lender.
"Bryce, I’m assuming, is going to say it’s tongue in cheek… It’s lighthearted," said Friedrichs about the messages. "You could say that and that could mean a lot of different things, and I’m sure his attorneys are going to represent it that way."
Focus on the basement
The backstory:
Lutsen Lodge burned to its foundations on the morning of Feb. 6th, 2024. All that remained were two chimneys and a pile of rubble in the basement.
The State Fire Marshall said they still don’t know exactly how the fire started, but that it appeared to be in the basement.
As investigators combed through the rubble, they discovered one of the water heaters was suspiciously missing a cover and gas assembly. The technician who’d worked on it the day before said it wasn’t like that when he left.
They also found a residue on the heater that appeared to match the fire gel that the resort had just received for fondue pots. But further tests were inconclusive, saying its composition was inconsistent with the gel.
Other employees say Campbell had been in the basement in the days prior to the fire and that it was very unusual for him to go down there.
One of them was the former manager, who Joe called to notify him that Campbell had been arrested.
"He said it felt like a punch to the gut, someone I’ve worked with for six years, I trusted," said Friedrichs. "He was actually hurt and saddened with the announcement about the charges."