CUSTER, S.D. (AP) — Authorities say numerous fire departments worked through the night to put out a fire at a popular 85-year-old lodge in the Black Hills of South Dakota.
Two firefighters received minor injuries in the blaze at Sylvan Lake Lodge in Custer State Park. No guests of the multi-story hotel were hurt, according to the Custer Volunteer Fire Department.
Firefighters discovered a “free burning fire” when they arrived at the lodge Saturday night, authorities said. They encountered heavy smoke and flames extending to the roof.
The stone-and-timber lodge was built in 1937, funded in part through Depression-era New Deal programs. A wing of additional rooms was added in 1991. The original Sylvan Lake Hotel was a stopping point for adventurers looking to climb Black Elk Peak, the highest point in America east of the Rockies, according to the lodge’s website.
Alarms initially went off in the southeastern part of the building, authorities said. Freezing temperatures, narrow roads covered with ice and snow, and darkness added to the difficulty of dealing with the blaze. About two dozen agencies responded to the fire.
Thirty-one cabins are nearby, all within close access to Sylvan Lake.
Authorities asked people to steer clear of the area where Custer firefighters said on social media that a massive cleanup effort is required.