Hurricane Ridge Day Lodge in Olympic National Park destroyed in fire

The 1950s-era Hurricane Ridge Day Lodge in Olympic National Park was destroyed in a fire over the weekend, the National Park Service said.

A ranger on patrol reported at about 4:30 p.m. Sunday that the lodge, a popular destination in the park that had been closed for a renovation project, was fully engulfed in flames, the park service said in a news release, which said that no one was in the structure at the time of the fire, and no injuries were reported.

Clallam County Fire District 2 and the Port Angeles Fire Department responded to the incident. The first fire district units to arrive at the scene reported that the structure had already collapsed to its foundation, Clallam County Fire District 2 said. Photos showed the building was reduced to a large pile of rubble following the blaze.

Hurricane Ridge is closed to the public and was expected to reopen later this month as work got underway for an $11 million renovation of the lodge. The popular area of the park was to open for Memorial Day weekend, though plans called for the lodge to remain closed for construction. Work was expected to run for two years, the Peninsula Daily News reported.

The park service said the building was constructed in the 1950s. It was home to exhibits, a gift shop and a small café.

This article originally appeared on Kitsap Sun: Olympic National Park's Hurricane Ridge Lodge destroyed in fire