One year later, Lutsen Lodge fire still under investigation

LUTSEN, Minn. (FOX 9) - In the 365 days since the historic Lutsen Lodge burned to its foundation, leaving charred debris and a couple of persistent chimneys behind, the questions remain: The answers are elusive.

Generations of memories up in smoke

The backstory:

Lutsen Lodge dates back to the late 1800s, built along the shores of Lake Superior and grew to become a destination for generations of families.

Not long after midnight of February 6, 2024, smoke was reported coming from the roof.  Soon, the resort was engulfed.  By daylight, nothing remained standing but the chimneys.  It would take a few days to fully extinguish the smoldering debris.

In the haze of smoke, also a cloud of suspicion.

Immediately, stories surfaced of multiple lawsuits against the resort’s owner, Bryce Campbell. Nearby cabin owners, who contracted with Lutsen Lodge to manage their rentals, accused Campbell of owing them thousands of dollars. Former employees sued, claiming they were not being paid. Contractors also sued, claiming they’d never been paid for work on renovations.

Campbell had a vision of turning the quaint lodge into an upscale destination, closing the pub and converting the restaurant into fine dining. After the fire, locals told FOX 9 that they’d stopped going there because it was no longer an affordable place to grab a beer and burger.

Investigation still active but still tight lipped

What they're saying:

On the one year mark of the fire, the Minnesota State Fire Marshal’s released a statement, revealing very little about what they’ve found or what’s left to do.

"Fire is a destructive force," said State Fire Marshal Dan Krier. "Often physical evidence is destroyed, leaving investigators to review burn patterns, reconstruct the scene and incorporate testimony from interviews. This all takes time but is necessary to find out exactly what happened."

The Department of Commerce is also involved, investigating potential fraud, particularly as it relates to the complicated finances surrounding the property.

So many questions but no answers

Local perspective:

A local reporter along the North Shore, Joe Friedrichs, has spent a lot of time digging into the complexities of this story. In November, he reported that sources told him Campbell had admitted to investigators that he was at the lodge not long before the fire, having returned to get some items from his office. Previously he claimed he’d left hours before and not come back.

While details like that add to the mystery, they don’t prove anything. So far, there’s been nothing that has led investigators to conclude how the fire started.

Campbell, for his part, marked the one-year anniversary with a long post on Facebook, stressing that he’s been researching the original plans for the lodge with plans to rebuild it on its exact foundation, exactly like it was before.