BOND, Colo.—A fire that destroyed the 117-year-old State Bridge Lodge was deliberately set, possibly to cover up a burglary, investigators said.
A trained arson dog detected the presence of a chemical accelerant used to make a fire burn faster, the Eagle County Sheriff’s Department said Monday. The Colorado Bureau of Investigation hasn’t confirmed the presence of an accelerant, sheriff’s spokeswoman Sara Cross said.
No one was injured in the June 2 fire, but the only occupant, caretaker John Ryder, lost most of his belongings, investigators said.
Sheriff’s Detective Brandon Beaudette told the Vail Daily in Monday’s editions that investigators had evidence of “obvious and intentional criminal activity before the fire.” He declined to disclose the evidence.
“It could very well be a cover-up,” Beaudette said. “Like someone was trying to destroy evidence of their criminal act—but that is speculation.”
The 1890 building that burned at the State Bridge River Resort housed a bar, office, bedroom, store and a stage, where concerts were held.
The lodge once hosted President Theodore Roosevelt while he was on a hunting trip and at different points in its history it served as a brothel and a speakeasy, said Scott Stoughton, the resort’s general manager.
The resort, 20 miles northwest of Vail and 90 miles west of Denver, now attracts kayakers, boaters and fishermen. Visitors stay in cabins and yurts and hosts parties and other events. The lodge’s Web site said it plans to reopen June 29.
Ryder said his dog, Tatiana, had awakened him at about 4:30 a.m., when he discovered the fire. Ryder said he and the dog both escaped but he had to leave his belongings.
Cross said the sheriff’s office and Crime Stoppers have offered a reward of up to $5,000 for information that results in an arrest or indictment.
Michael Arnett of Vail, who played music at the lodge in the 1970s, said it was a great loss for the area.
“We have so little long-term history in this valley, that when something of that magnitude occurs, it’s truly a sad thing,” he said.
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Information from: Vail Daily,
