Ski lodge owned by Bruce Willis burns down
07:08 PM MDT on Monday, March 30, 2009
Scott Evans/KTVB
FAIRFIELD -- An Idaho ski lodge owned by actor Bruce Willis has burned to the ground.
The 50-year-old lodge at Soldier Mountain burned down this morning before firefighters could even get on scene.
Fire crews first received the call at 7:30 a.m. By the time they got up to the ski resort 30 minutes later, there was nothing they could do but contain the flames.
"When we first arrived the smoke and box smoke were bailing out of the north lodge, the north end of the rental shop was engulfed, it was rolling off the roof line," said firefighter Shaun Stewart.
Shaun Stewart and his partner were the first volunteer firefighters on the scene.
A complete loss
Stewart says the lodge and the rental shop were beyond saving, but the next building over still had a chance.
"The only thing I could do was put water onto the building that hadn't been engulfed in flames yet, and try to cool down the flames coming out," said Stewart.
Stewart said he stood under 50-foot flames - fighting the heat.
"I was right in between the two buildings, the only thing I could do was sit there between the two buildings and run my hose back and forth," said Stewart.
With limited water to fight the fire - crews pumped water from a nearby creek to keep their lines fully charged.
Two other buildings in the area were also threatened and received minor heat damage.
Firefighters say the snow on the ground kept the fire from spreading further.
"The two buildings are completely gone and nothing left inside could be saved. It appears to be accident, we don't see any foul play, but we want to rule that out to make sure," said Fairfield Volunteer Fire Chief Wayne Marolf.
The flames are now extinguished, but fire crews continued their work, trying to get the area ready for the fire marshal is expected to show up Tuesday.
Crews say the fire appears to be an accident, but say the fire marshal will conduct a full investigation to eliminate all other possibilities.
So what's next for Soldier Mountain? We spoke to the manager who said last month Willis' Valley Entertainment Group filed master plans with the Sawtooth National Forest to build a new lodge and a new lift for the resort. The plans must still be approved.
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Soldier Mountain lodge burns down
Started by Peter, Mar 31 2009 06:05 AM
5 replies to this topic
#1
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#2
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- Industry II
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Established User
Posted 31 March 2009 - 11:16 AM
Bummer, fun place to ski. If they could resurrect they old master plan, it would have some big vertical. Gets more snow than Sun Valley. Hopefully their plan gets approved.
Of all things, it's a Patriots fan watching us.........
#3
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Posted 03 April 2009 - 05:40 PM
Apparently all the media cares about is that it happened to be co-owned by a celebrity. From the headlines one would think it was his personal house, but no, it's the ski area lodge and the ski area is owned by him.
Some of the 487 News articles about it on Google News...
Bruce Willis' Ski Lodge Burns Down! - E! Online
Bruce Willis' lodge destroyed - China Daily
Ski lodge co-owned by Bruce Willis destroyed in fire - Indian Express
Ski Lodge Co-Owned by Bruce Willis Goes Up in Smoke - TheCelebrityCafe.com
Fire destroys Willis' ski hideaway - Denver Post
Bruce Willis' Ski Lodge Burns To The Ground! - PerezHilton.com
Some of the 487 News articles about it on Google News...
Bruce Willis' Ski Lodge Burns Down! - E! Online
Bruce Willis' lodge destroyed - China Daily
Ski lodge co-owned by Bruce Willis destroyed in fire - Indian Express
Ski Lodge Co-Owned by Bruce Willis Goes Up in Smoke - TheCelebrityCafe.com
Fire destroys Willis' ski hideaway - Denver Post
Bruce Willis' Ski Lodge Burns To The Ground! - PerezHilton.com
- Peter<br />
Liftblog.com
Liftblog.com
#4
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- Industry I
- 1,333 Posts:
Minnesota Skier!
Posted 06 April 2009 - 10:08 PM
Skier, on Apr 3 2009, 08:40 PM, said:
Apparently all the media cares about is that it happened to be co-owned by a celebrity. From the headlines one would think it was his personal house, but no, it's the ski area lodge and the ski area is owned by him.
Some of the 487 News articles about it on Google News...
Bruce Willis' Ski Lodge Burns Down! - E! Online
Bruce Willis' lodge destroyed - China Daily
Ski lodge co-owned by Bruce Willis destroyed in fire - Indian Express
Ski Lodge Co-Owned by Bruce Willis Goes Up in Smoke - TheCelebrityCafe.com
Fire destroys Willis' ski hideaway - Denver Post
Bruce Willis' Ski Lodge Burns To The Ground! - PerezHilton.com
Some of the 487 News articles about it on Google News...
Bruce Willis' Ski Lodge Burns Down! - E! Online
Bruce Willis' lodge destroyed - China Daily
Ski lodge co-owned by Bruce Willis destroyed in fire - Indian Express
Ski Lodge Co-Owned by Bruce Willis Goes Up in Smoke - TheCelebrityCafe.com
Fire destroys Willis' ski hideaway - Denver Post
Bruce Willis' Ski Lodge Burns To The Ground! - PerezHilton.com
Ugh...media. So, what's next with this little place?
#6
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Established User
Posted 10 May 2009 - 07:42 PM
Soldier managers: We will rebuild
New day lodge planned for Fairfield-area ski resort
By JASON KAUFFMAN
Express Staff Writer
Managers of Soldier Mountain ski area intend to have the resort up and running in time for the beginning of the 2009-10 ski season later this year.
The Fairfield-area ski resort's rustic day lodge was destroyed by fire on March 30, just two days after the mountain closed for the season. Fire officials say the building's wiring was the source of the blaze.
Although long-term plans call for replacing the late 1940s-era lodge with a much larger structure as part of a planned ski area expansion, managers only plan on constructing a slightly larger day lodge for the time being, said Shelly Scott, Hailey-based office manager for Valley Entertainment, which owns Soldier Mountain.
"We're going to rebuild," Scott said Wednesday.
Actor Bruce Willis, a part-time Wood River Valley resident, owns Valley Entertainment Group.
However, due to weather-caused delays that have kept a contractor hired to remove debris from the burned structure from getting to work, the ski area may have to bring in a temporary structure in place of the new lodge at least for part of the coming winter season, Scott said. Recent rain and snow has kept the site too muddy for the work to be completed, she said.
"His equipment will sink," she said.
The original lodge and ski area were established through the efforts of former Fairfield farmer Bob Frostenson and his friend Harry Durall. In the beginning, they installed two rope tows, the first powered by a 1938 Chevrolet engine.
Today, the ski area boasts 1,150 acres of in-bounds terrain and its three lifts give access to a vertical rise of 1,425 feet.
Future expansion plans call for new snowmaking, the addition of up to four new ski lifts, trail clearing and a new day lodge at the base of the mountain. Last October, ski area managers submitted for review an in-depth master plan to the Sawtooth National Forest's Fairfield Ranger District. The plan details the direction in which the managers would like to take Soldier Mountain in the coming decades.
The plan states that a new base lodge will be built once the mountain begins attracting 30,000 visitors each season. According to figures included in the document, 16,061 visitors used the mountain during the 2007-08 season.
The master plan also mentions the possibility of an "on-mountain facility."
But all that will take a back seat to getting the mountain ready for the coming season.
Scott said the ownership group hopes to get at least part of the new lodge constructed before snow begins to fall later this year.
"At least they can get the outside (of the new lodge) buttoned up," she said. "We're really realizing we have a short window for construction."
Nonetheless, the ski area will be open next season, Scott said.
New day lodge planned for Fairfield-area ski resort
By JASON KAUFFMAN
Express Staff Writer
Managers of Soldier Mountain ski area intend to have the resort up and running in time for the beginning of the 2009-10 ski season later this year.
The Fairfield-area ski resort's rustic day lodge was destroyed by fire on March 30, just two days after the mountain closed for the season. Fire officials say the building's wiring was the source of the blaze.
Although long-term plans call for replacing the late 1940s-era lodge with a much larger structure as part of a planned ski area expansion, managers only plan on constructing a slightly larger day lodge for the time being, said Shelly Scott, Hailey-based office manager for Valley Entertainment, which owns Soldier Mountain.
"We're going to rebuild," Scott said Wednesday.
Actor Bruce Willis, a part-time Wood River Valley resident, owns Valley Entertainment Group.
However, due to weather-caused delays that have kept a contractor hired to remove debris from the burned structure from getting to work, the ski area may have to bring in a temporary structure in place of the new lodge at least for part of the coming winter season, Scott said. Recent rain and snow has kept the site too muddy for the work to be completed, she said.
"His equipment will sink," she said.
The original lodge and ski area were established through the efforts of former Fairfield farmer Bob Frostenson and his friend Harry Durall. In the beginning, they installed two rope tows, the first powered by a 1938 Chevrolet engine.
Today, the ski area boasts 1,150 acres of in-bounds terrain and its three lifts give access to a vertical rise of 1,425 feet.
Future expansion plans call for new snowmaking, the addition of up to four new ski lifts, trail clearing and a new day lodge at the base of the mountain. Last October, ski area managers submitted for review an in-depth master plan to the Sawtooth National Forest's Fairfield Ranger District. The plan details the direction in which the managers would like to take Soldier Mountain in the coming decades.
The plan states that a new base lodge will be built once the mountain begins attracting 30,000 visitors each season. According to figures included in the document, 16,061 visitors used the mountain during the 2007-08 season.
The master plan also mentions the possibility of an "on-mountain facility."
But all that will take a back seat to getting the mountain ready for the coming season.
Scott said the ownership group hopes to get at least part of the new lodge constructed before snow begins to fall later this year.
"At least they can get the outside (of the new lodge) buttoned up," she said. "We're really realizing we have a short window for construction."
Nonetheless, the ski area will be open next season, Scott said.
- Peter<br />
Liftblog.com
Liftblog.com
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