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The Mt. Charleston Lodge, the rustic getaway in Kyle Canyon with a restaurant and bar, is “pretty much gone,” after an early morning fire broke out on Friday, 8 News Now reports, citing Metro police at the scene. Firefighters from the Mt. Charleston Fire Department and Clark County Fire Department arrived before sunrise to find a “fully involved” fire, Larry Haydu, assistant chief of the Clark County Fire Department, tells the news station.
Flames erupted through the roof of the main building next to Kyle Canyon Road, across from Cathedral Rock trailhead, according to News 3 LV. Firefighters were called to the scene at 4:45 a.m.
Firefighters are battling a fire at the Mt. Charleston Lodge, right across from the Cathedral Rock trailhead, as captured by Sky 3: https://t.co/08KIbWt29h pic.twitter.com/YWkQjmIEmF
— KSNV News 3 Las Vegas (@News3LV) September 17, 2021
The lodge, surrounded by cabins and more than 50 miles of marked trails over rocky terrain, was closed at the time that the fire started.
Ellis Island owns the lodge, which featured an A-frame building with a 20-foot loft ceiling and high windows opposite the lounge. The popular destination for hikers often offered temperatures 20 to 30 degrees cooler than Las Vegas, 50 minutes to the southeast of the lodge, from its perch at 7,717 feet in the midst of the Kyle Canyon in the Humboldt Toiyabe National Forest.
“It’s with a heavy heart that we announce that the Mount Charleston Lodge burned down this morning,” Christina Ellis, Ellis Island’s marketing director, says in a press statement. “Most importantly, none of our team members nor any members of the Mount Charleston community were harmed in the fire. The surrounding area and the cabins were both left untouched. We’d like to thank all the first responders who assisted with keeping everything contained this morning. The lodge was a beloved landmark, and we plan on rebuilding and recreating the atmosphere and charm that so many were able to enjoy throughout the years.”
Update: Fire officials say the blaze likely started in the dining room, where the roof was completely burned away, according to the Las Vegas Sun.
This is a developing story.
