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State Fire Marshal investigating fire at Lutsen Resort
This activity is part of the agency’s ongoing investigation to confirm the origin of the blaze and determine what caused it.
LUTSEN, Minn. — There are still a lot of questions about the fire that burned down the Lutsen Resort Lodge last month.
The iconic structure in the North Shore was a popular spot for more than a 100 years. Now, the Minnesota State Fire Marshal (MSFM) is leading an investigation into the Feb. 6 fire. Investigators will be digging through the debris this week to confirm the origin of the blaze and determine what caused it.
Public access is still restricted, but visitors want to see what’s left of the landmark overlooking Lake Superior.
“We’ve come here for years,” said Jeri Saltzman, who drove from Iowa. “It’s the heart of Lutsen and just important to our family.”
The lodge was built in the late 1800s and burned in 1949 and 1951. The fire in February was a total loss, but the general manager has said he hopes to rebuild.
“Lutsen Resort is a very special place and for me,” said Clair Nalezny, the lodge’s former hiring manager for 16 years. “I can close my eyes and still remember the hallways and secret compartments and back stairways that no one really got to.”
She owns a vacation rental business and is now working with several homeowner’s associations that she says recently cut ties with the lodge. Its owner, Bryce Campbell, is also facing several civil cases that cabin owners filed last month for allegedly not paying them thousands of dollars in rental income as part of a management agreement.
The MSFM also released its report from July 6, 2023, detailing seven total violations, including issues with the sprinkler system, fire alarm system, fire exit signs and smoke alarms. Four of the seven violations had been repaired by the owners, according to state fire officials, but three were still documented as outstanding when the report was pulled in the hours after the fire.
“I’m very happy that it’s being taken seriously,” said Saltzman about the investigation. “It could be completely innocent and I hope it turns out to be that way, but it’s still a very sad situation.”
The scene is considered a safety risk due to the unstable fire debris and the MSFM says it won’t be providing a timeline for how long the investigation might take. It also wouldn’t answer any other of KARE 11’s questions.
KARE 11 also reached out to Campbell and the general manager who didn’t respond to our questions as of news time.
Campbell last posted on social media on February 11. He hit back against rumors saying the damage that has been done is going beyond a building. You can read what he wrote in its entirety here.
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The chief was discussing the shooting of Davis Maturi, who for months had been contact with the MPD about escalating harassment from his neighbor, John Sawchak.
MINNEAPOLIS — Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said his department “failed” after a man was shot, allegedly by his neighbor in the city.
“We failed this victim. 100%, because that should not have happened to him,” said O’Hara in a Sunday evening press conference.
The chief was discussing the shooting of Davis Moturi, who for months had been contact with the MPD about escalating harassment from his neighbor, John Sawchak.
Sawchak was charged with shooting Moturi as he was pruning a tree on his front yard on Oct. 23.
Moturi remains hospitalized with a fractured spine, two broken ribs, and a concussion.
O’Hara and the MPD came under a heavy attack from the Minneapolis City Council after it was revealed that the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office had charged Sawchak, but the MPD had not arrested him.
“MPD still has not arrested the suspect despite charges from the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office for Attempted Murder, 1st Degree Assault, Stalking, and Harassment and a request from the HCAO for a warrant with $1 million bail. MPD told the HCAO they do not intend to execute the warrant ‘for reasons of officer safety,’” said the letter from the Minneapolis City Council.
“We failed to act urgently enough,” said O’Hara, before citing staffing concerns as a contributing factor.
It was a stark difference from the tone the chief initially took on Friday, then saying “If we wound up in a deadly situation, the headlines would read ‘MPD shot mentally ill person’.”
On Sunday, O’Hara said his previous comments were meant as a response to accusations that the MPD “didn’t care,” about the case.
“This is the result of over-politicizing policing in Minneapolis,” said O’Hara.
O’Hara stated that the MPD will, for the moment, continue waiting for Sawchak to exit his home to arrest him, but the chief added “We are running out of options before we have to escalate the matter.”
The heated back-and-forth between the city council and the chief continued earlier Sunday when Minneapolis City Council member Emily Koski released a statement questioning O’Hara and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey actions in the matter.
“Our Chief of Police is hiding behind excuses, and our Mayor…is just hiding.” said Koski in the statement.
Cities across Minnesota expanded voting hours and locations for the upcoming presidential election.
MINNEAPOLIS — Expanded early voting hours and locations are giving Minnesotans more opportunities to cast their ballots before the general election.
Over 1,000 people visited Minneapolis Elections & Voter Services over the weekend to make their voice heard.
“We have always voted as a family. We have this right as Americans to vote, and we wanted him to know right from the get-go that you’ve got to vote in every single election because this is our voice, this is our opportunity to really pick the future that we want based on the candidate that we vote for,” said Kelly Wallander.
Kelly and her husband, Claude, picked up their son Harrison from college, so they could all vote in the general election for the first time as a family.
“It’s interesting. It’s cool to see elections on TV, basically as long as I can remember, and now know that I’m a part of it and being able to vote with my parents is cool,” Harrison said.
“I like voting early just because exactly you miss the line and you get it in there,” Claude said.
Director of Elections and Voter Services for the City of Minneapolis Katie Smith said the past two days have been busy.
“We’ve had really solid turnout. We’ve had about 42,000 people who have already voted in this election,” she said.
She anticipates next weekend will be even busier.
“Every year we kind of looking at how many people we’re planning for and how many people are coming through. We try to always expand our service hours as we get closer and closer to the election,” she said.
Smith said they’ve also started using pop-up voting locations to reach more people.
“In 2023, there was a legislative change that allows for us to have sites around the city that are open for different lengths of time as well as different dates form our main site. We’ve really taken the opportunity to host some one-day early vote pop-ups… in some unique and really great spaces throughout the city,” Smith said.
Sunday’s pop-up was at the Capri Theater. Paige Gayle voted here along with her sister.
“I like early voting because it’s convenient, it’s fast and it’s quick,” she said. “I work on actual election day, so for me it was important to get out beforehand.”
Smith said offering more voting opportunities for people in Minneapolis is crucial to their work.
“It’s so important to be able to offer all of these voting methods so that people can find something that works really well for them and make their voting plan,” Smith said.
Voters tell KARE 11 one of the perks to early voting is little to no wait. Voting early also gives them peace of mind and is one less thing to do on election day.
“It’s so much more convenient. This way I don’t have to worry about it. I’ll still be working on election day, so I would have had to go in before or after work. Now, I don’t have to worry about it. I know my vote will be counted,” Macy Bauers said.
Bauers said she votes in every election and hopes more people take advantage of early voting in the coming days.
The two adults who were killed were both male, according to the department, which is investigating the shooting.
MINNEAPOLIS — Three people were shot, two of them fatally in a Minneapolis encampment on Sunday afternoon, according to the Minneapolis Police Department.
The shooting occurred on the 4400 block of Snelling Avenue shortly after 3 p.m., said the MPD.
The two adults who were killed were both male, according to the department, which is investigating the shooting.
A woman was also taken to the hospital after the shooting and is in critical condition, said the MPD.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
