Wilbur Hot Springs Historic Lodge Destroyed, 60 Guests Safe

Saturday, March 29, 2014

Wilbur Hot Springs Historic Lodge Destroyed, 60 Guests Safe

A Saturday morning fire destroyed a historic lodge near the border of Colusa and Lake counties.

60 guests were at the resort at the time of the fire

The main lodge at Wilbur Hot Springs Historic Lodge, Mineral Baths and Nature Sanctuary near Williams, Calif., was destroyed by a fire that began on the morning of Saturday, March 29, 2014. Meg Solagui/Wilbur Hot Springs resort photo.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – The main lodge building of the Wilbur Hot Springs Historic Lodge, Mineral Baths and Nature Sanctuary burned in structure fire, according to Northshore Fire Deputy Chief Pat Brown.

Brown and Northshore firefighters, along with resources from several other agencies were on scene for several hours, with the Lake County crew just returning at around 3 p.m.

Brown said Northshore Fire was dispatched at approximately 10:40 a.m. to the lodge, located at 3375 Wilbur Springs Road near Williams.

The recent rain had made the road difficult to travel for the responding fire equipment, Brown said.

The resort is not located within a fire district, but resources from several surrounding districts responded with a lot of equipment and personnel, Brown reported.

Williams Fire sent three engines and a water tender, Maxwell Fire had two engines and a water tender, with the Maxwell chief acting as incident commander. Brown said he and one Northshore Fire engine also responded, and there were two engines and a water tender from the Capay Valley.

Brown said the fire appeared to have started in the kitchen, traveling up to the second floor and across the roof, then back down into the first floor of the building, which he to be about 6,000 square feet in size.

Northshore firefighters worked on the first floor to help salvage what they could, including the lodge's oak tables and chairs, Brown said. “We saved all that.”

Some 60 guests were at the resort at the time of the fire, with Brown saying that at one point he was struggling to make sure everyone was accounted for and safe.

He said that in the end all guests were safe, with the owner suffering some burned hair and another person having smoke inhalation. Medics from Enloe Medical Center in Chico also were on scene but no one was transported.

For Brown, seeing the building destroyed was difficult, as he and other firefighters had fought to save it during the August 2012 Walker Fire, which crossed from Lake into Colusa county.

The resort's outbuildings were not affected by the Saturday fire, Brown said.

He said that because the resort is located in a “no man's zone” between districts, so far no fire investigator has been assigned, and it's his understanding that the building may not have been insured.

According to the resort's Web site, http://www.wilburhotsprings.com , the resort was established in 1865.

The main lodge destroyed by the Saturday fire had been built in 1915, with additional building and improvements taking place in the years since. The property today includes an 1,800-acre nature preserve, according to the site.

Source: http://www.lakeconews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=36081:breaking-historic-wilbur-hot-springs-main-lodge-destroyed-by-fire&catid=1:latest&Itemid=197
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CFN - California Fire News 2013

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Saturday, March 29, 2014