Occupants Flee as Fire Destroys Little Lake Lodge
Little Lake Lodge, a landmark on U. S. 395 for Mammoth-bound skiers and other travelers to the Eastern Sierra, was gutted by a blaze that burned through the night, fire officials said Tuesday.
Most of the interior of the 69-year-old, three-story structure was destroyed, said Capt. Fred Stump of the state Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. But the lodge’s concrete and rock outer frame remains intact, he said.
More than 50 firefighters from six county, state, federal and volunteer municipal fire departments responded to the blaze, which was not declared under control until 8 a.m. Tuesday, 14 hours after it began.
“It was a major malfunction in the electrical system,” Stump said. “The fire began at the northeast corner of the building. . . . Because of where it started there was ample time to evacuate all the occupants.”
Built as a resort along an old stagecoach and rail route linking the Owens Valley and the Los Angeles Basin, the lodge 65 miles north of Mojave included a bar, a restaurant, a post office and 21 rooms.
Damage was estimated at $300,000, Stump said.
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