by Kate Shunney
On Monday, heavy equipment moved around the remains of Coolfont’s Treetop House, pushing charred material off the floor of what had been the main reception area for resort guests for more than 50 years.
A January 26 fire consumed the distinctive A-frame lodge that was the recognizable symbol of the wooded resort on Cold Run Valley Road, and collapsed an attached addition to that main structure.
A few trees next to the lodge showed signs of the blaze that burned so hot that fire crews had to turn back from their frontal attack on that Sunday night fire. Fire units from four states responded to the structure fire, which rekindled twice on Monday, January 27 and smoked for days.
Structural material of the building largely collapsed into the basement level of the middle part of the lodge during the fire. Last week, work began to move that debris out of the way and to dismantle what was left the lodge roof structure. Many of the roof rafters remained intact after the fire.
Resort owner Larry Omps watched the cleanup operations on Monday morning with some of his resort staff nearby.
He said his family would rebuild the lodge, though he didn’t know exactly what that would look like yet, or how long it would take.
A week after the fire, phone and internet service had not been restored to the property, but Omps said that utility providers had already been there to assess the location.
The plan is to move the resort’s registration operations to the swim & fitness center building to the south of the Treetop House so that guests who are renting vacation homes on the resort can check in and out.
Omps said by the end of February, that transition should be able to take place.
Officials from Workforce West Virginia had already visited the resort to help employees as they face lost income and a potential wait to return to work.
Omps said there were 27 employees – 40 in the height of the season.
“They all want to stay,” he said.
According to Omps, the State Fire Marshal was considering the cause of the fire undetermined. Attempts to reach the State Fire Marshal for an official statement were unsuccessful by press time.
Omps said he’d heard and seen on social media the more outlandish explanations for the fire.
There were investigators all over the fire site, he said.
“It’s only been a week,” said Omps.
In a post on the resort’s social media page, the Omps family shared their gratitude for the firefighters who kept the fire contained and put it out, and for the local support for their business.
“Our Coolfont Family wishes to express our Heartfelt Appreciation and Gratitude to the dedicated Fire & Emergency Personnel who responded to the tragic loss of our Iconic Treetop Restaurant & Lodge. On a cold January night, your dedication to our hometown was evident for all to see! Thank you to our wonderful community and loyal guests! The outpouring of support shown to our family and our Coolfont Team has been tremendous. This catastrophic event shows the true greatness of our community and we are truly blessed!” they wrote.
Lodging at the resort’s cabins and Woodland House Suites is expected to reopen by next month.
As the resort owners said in a recent announcement: “Moving Forward: We are just beginning to envision what the New Treetop Lodge will be. The rebuild process will not be swift, but we are excited to start the journey!”
