MN lodge that burned had unresolved inspection violations

Minnesota regulators report that a historic lodge destroyed in a fire had three unresolved violations from a recent fire code inspection, but it isn’t clear if those violations played a role in the blaze. A staffer at Lutsen Lodge on Lake Superior spotted smoke coming from electrical outlets in the lobby around 12:30 a.m. Tuesday. When fire teams from eight different departments arrived on scene the lodge was already fully engulfed in flames. The Minnesota Department of Public Safety says the State Fire Marshal division performed an inspection in July and found seven violations. The agency says the property owner repaired four of them, but says it’s too early to determine if the outstanding violations “played a role in the fire.” Lutsen, started in 1885, claims to be Minnesota’s oldest resort, with the lodge as its centerpiece.