May 9, 2023

Hurricane Ridge lodge burned down as NPS started $11M renovation

Photo from NPS [enlarge]

Two chimneys stand in the aftermath of Sunday’s fire at Hurricane Ridge Day Lodge.

Construction crews just a few weeks ago were mobilizing inside Olympic National Park for a $10.87 million renovation and rehab of the Hurricane Ridge Day Lodge. On Sunday, that project suffered a death blow, as the 12,200-square-foot lodge burned to the ground.

The National Park Service said a law enforcement ranger on patrol spotted the lodge fully engulfed in flames at about 4:30 p.m. NPS said nobody was in the structure at the time of the fire and no injuries were reported. The lodge had been under construction since April 3 and was closed to visitors, as were about 12 miles of mountain road leading up to the building. A news release from NPS said the structure appears to be a complete loss.

“The loss of the Hurricane Ridge Visitor Center is devastating for the Olympic Peninsula and for the more than 300,000 travelers who visit the iconic visitor center every year,” said U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell in a statement. “I am working with Secretary Haaland and the National Park Service to make sure this historic lodge is rebuilt.”

A spokesperson for NPS said the agency is not speculating on rebuilding the lodge at this time, but added that the replacement cost for the building is estimated at $34.6 million. “We are still dealing with an active emergency and that is our main focus,” the spokesperson wrote in an email.

JMG Constructors of Poulsbo was the general contractor in charge of the renovation project. JMG's Jeff Granlee didn't immediately respond yesterday to a text message seeking comment on the fire and what's next for his team.

The DJC reported last month that the lodge was in need of both exterior and interior work, and had incurred an estimated $6.68 million in deferred maintenance and repairs. Granlee said then that his team expected to turn the renovated building back over to NPS in April 2024 and then finish site work by the following November.

JMG's scope of work included improving the electrical and plumbing systems, fire detection and notification systems, and updating the elevator to meet code. Additional work involved replacing and fortifying the roof to meet seismic, wind speed and snow load requirements. Crews were to also replace windows, doors and exterior wall coverings in an effort to keep the weather at bay, as the lodge sat at an elevation of 5,242 feet.

Anderson Hallas Architects of Golden, Colorado, was leading the design team. Major subcontractors for the renovation were Blue Mountain Electric, Bratonia Mechanical, ICI (concrete), Lakeside Industries (paving), Todd Robinson Painting, and Spectra Contract Flooring.

The lodge was built in the 1950s and housed interpretive exhibits upstairs, and a gift shop and small cafe run by Aramark, a park concessionaire.

Both Clallam County Fire District 2 and Port Angeles Fire Department responded to the fire.

Related Stories:

• NPS starts $11M rehab of Hurricane Ridge Day Lodge  04-27-2023