PORT ANGELES, Wash. - At about 4:30 p.m. Sunday, May 7th, a law enforcement ranger on patrol reported that the Hurricane Ridge Day Lodge, a popular destination in Olympic National Park that had been undergoing renovation, was fully engulfed in flames. Nobody was in the structure at the time of the fire and no injuries were reported. Both Clallam County Fire District 2 and Port Angeles Fire Department responded to the fire and are currently in the mop up phase.
The Day Lodge, located in the most easily accessed high alpine area of the park, had been under construction since March 27 and was closed to visitors. The 17-mile mountain road leading up to the building has also been closed since construction began. Park officials say the structure appears to be a complete loss. The building was built in the 1950’s and housed interpretive exhibits upstairs and a gift shop and small café run by Aramark, a park concessionaire.
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service