Lutsen Resort General Manager After Fire And Community Response

Lutsen Resort burned to the ground during an early morning fire Feb. 6. In the week following the fire, the owner and management team at Lutsen Resort have shared multiple comments in the press and on social media explaining that there is no connection between the fire and financial challenges the resort is facing. "Shame on so many of you. The damage that has been done is going beyond a building. This tragedy should only be about the loss of such an important icon and the people affected by it including so much of our team," Owner Bryce Campbell shared Feb. 10. "Instead the site has become a spectacle in the likes of a roadside attraction for photos and the tragic loss has become a source of enjoyment for gossipers and headlines to sell news subscriptions." Edward Vanegas was Lutsen Resort’s general manager for several years in the lead up to the Feb. 6 fire. Lutsen Resort currently has no employees following the fire, according to Vanegas. Vanegas was among the first people to be notified of the fire at Lutsen Resort on Feb. 6. After being called with the news of the fire, he drove from his home east of Grand Marais and to the scene, watching the resort as it burned to the ground. Vanegas spoke with Steve and Joe on the podcast about his experience watching the resort burn, and the community's reaction to fire.