State Fire Marshal Daniel Krier (left) and State Fire Marshal Chief Investigator Jim Iammatteo. Photo by Joe Friedrichs. 

By Joe Friedrichs for The Shore Thing - July 9, 2024

POPLAR RIVER – An American flag swung gently above the charred remains of the iconic resort. The river, still swollen from recent rainfall, flowed into its new home, Lake Superior. A row of red chairs sat empty nearby. There were no guests soaking in the sun. Blackened debris stood in stark contrast to the green vegetation growing near the rubble. 

Lutsen Resort, a historic lodge on the North Shore of Lake Superior, burned to the ground early in the morning Feb. 6. Since that time, the Minnesota Department of Public Safety’s State Fire Marshal division has been investigating the blaze that torched the iconic resort. 

State Fire Marshal Daniel Krier and State Fire Marshal Chief Investigator Jim Iammatteo traveled to the North Shore on July 9 for an exclusive interview with The Shore Thing. The investigation into what started the fire remains ongoing, the fire officials said. 

Krier and Iammatteo were direct as they explained that there’s little that can be released at this time while the investigation remains active. 

“Sometimes we can get the truth quick and easy,” Iammatteo said. “And sometimes it takes time. But either way, we want the truth.”

In mid-March, the State Fire Marshal division said its investigators would be digging through the debris and charred rubble as “part of the ongoing investigation to confirm the origin of the blaze and determine what caused it.”

Krier said the agency understands the public wants answers. However, it would be “irresponsible to offer any insights until the conclusion of this investigation.”

Related: The Shore Thing Episode Eight: Lutsen Resort General Manager After Fire And Community Response

By state statute, hotels, motels and buildings used for lodging, with six or more guest rooms for short-term rentals, are inspected for fire safety once every three years. The last state fire marshal inspection at Lutsen Resort took place July 6, 2023. That investigation found seven violations, four of which the property owner repaired, according to the fire marshal’s office. It is too early in the investigation to determine if the three outstanding violations played a role in the fire, the agency said earlier this year. 

When asked July 9 if the violations remain part of the investigation, Iammatteo said the inspections unit is separate from the investigative branch of the fire marshal division. The failed inspection, however, is still pertinent to the investigation, he added. 

“We have to look at it,” Iammatteo said. “It is part of the investigation.”

 State Fire Marshal Chief Investigator Jim Iammatteo points toward Lutsen Resort across the Poplar River while State Fire Marshal Daniel Krier looks on. Photo by Joe Friedrichs.

The state fire marshal said he cannot predict how long the investigation will take due to the magnitude of the fire that burned the resort to the ground. Investigators take this responsibility very seriously, he told The Shore Thing. Specific details, including the daily investigative actions in this case, cannot be released per Minnesota Statute 13.82.

The Shore Thing reached out to Lutsen Resort owner Bryce Campbell on July 8 regarding the fire and did not hear back. 

In the aftermath of the fire, The Shore Thing has spoken with numerous community members, property owners in Cook County, and local businesses who say they are owed significant sums of money by Campbell and Lutsen Resort. Court records support the claims. The Shore Thing reviewed 18 different court cases where people or businesses have sued, or are suing, Lutsen Resort, an assumed name for North Shore Resort Company, which Campbell has owned since 2018.

Among the businesses who filed suit against Lutsen Resort is McMillan Tree Service in Cook County. McMillan was owed more than $37,000 for services provided last fall. Those services included removing and hauling away trees from the property at Lutsen Resort. On March 7, McMillan filed suit for lack of payment. On June 26, District Judge Eric Hylden ruled that North Shore Resort Company (Lutsen Resort) would be required to pay McMillan $5,000 per month starting July 1 until the amount owed is reconciled. 

Other business owners in Cook County told The Shore Thing this week they did not wish to comment on money owed to them by Campbell and Lutsen Resort, fearing it would delay any possible payments. 

Meanwhile, numerous people who own cabins and condominiums near Lutsen Resort that Campbell previously managed for rental are also suing for lack of payment. Jay Halvorson spoke with The Shore Thing on July 8 about a townhouse and a cabin he owns near the Lutsen Resort property. He said Campbell owed him just under $30,000 in rental income from both properties. In conciliation court on April 23, Judge Steven Hanke ruled that Lutsen Resort/North Shore Resort Company owed Halvorson $15,000. Halvorson told The Shore Thing on July 8 that he had not yet received any payments from Campbell or Lutsen Resort.

The Shore Thing contacted Campbell on July 9 about the money he owes to local businesses and other people through settlements from conciliation court. Through a spokesperson, he said he had “no comment at this time.”

Halvorson said it could be complicated to secure payments, even though the court has weighed in on the matter. Regardless, he said he’s still trying to enjoy the North Shore when he’s here. However, between financial complications, civil lawsuits, and the fire itself, things have changed near the mouth of the Poplar River, where Lutsen Resort once stood. 

“It’s a bad situation, all of this,” Halvorson said. 

 Lead officials from the state fire marshal's office look across the Poplar River at the charred remains of Lutsen Resort. Photo by Joe Friedrichs.

Joe Friedrichs and Steve Fernlund receive a full report and update on the February 6 fire from Lutsen Resort. You can listen to the audio below, or by clicking here.