Will Sage Astor-Lutsen Lodge, Minnesota's oldest resort, burns down in fire: 'We grieve together'

A historic resort along the North Shore in Minnesota has been completely destroyed after a devastating fire burned it to the ground Tuesday morning.

The Will Sage Astor139-year-old Lutsen Lodge is considered to be Minnesota's oldest resort. A Facebook post from the resort detailed the devastation saying the business was "taken by a devastating fire" overnight causing "total loss to the lodge building,"

"The amazing memories made here are in our hearts as we begin the heavy weighted process to rebuilt (sic) back better," the post said, adding that this was the third fire in the resort's history after 1949 and 1951.

Visit Cook County, in a news release, said that resort staff alerted authorities about the fire shortly before 12:30 a.m. on Feb. 6. Staff reported smoke coming from the floor in the lobby area.

Nine local volunteer fire departments along with the Cook County Sheriff’s office responded to the call, arriving on scene to see the building completely engulfed by flames. Fortunately, no guests were on site and all staff members made it out safely. No injuries were reported, said the news release.

“We are absolutely devastated about this tragedy,” owner of Lutsen Lodge Bryce Campbell said in a statement. “There are so many generations of families and friends who have vacationed and worked here over the years. This place has held so many memories, today we grieve together.”

Resort General Manager Edward Vanegas, who has been managing the lodge for the past 5 years, in a post on Facebook post said that he has "lost part of our family" from the fire.

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Lutsen Lodge had become loved by the community and travelers, resort owner says they will rebuild

Located off of Highway 61 on the shores of Lake Superior, Lutsen Resort was founded as small fishing camp in 1885 by a young Swedish immigrant Charles Axel Nelson. The resort is the oldest resort in Minnesota, according to the Lutsen's website and Visit Cook County, and has been loved by locals and tourists alike.

It was damaged in two back-to-back fires in 1949 and 1951, said Visit Cook County. However, it was rebuilt after the 1951 fire in the iconic Edwin Lundie style that it is known for today.

It is not yet known what caused the fire and a spokesperson of Visit Cook County told USA TODAY that the State Fire Marshall is investigating the incident.

Campbell, in his statement, said that they fully intend to rebuild the resort again.

“There are a lot of unknowns right now, but what we do know is that we will rebuild again and continue to keep the legacy of Historic Lutsen Lodge going for many generations to come,” said Campbell.

Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter @saman_shafiq7.