PORT ANGELES – Olympic National Park officials said Friday the investigation into the cause of the fire that burned down the Hurricane Ridge Day Lodge continues. Investigators have completed a preliminary examination and are planning additional steps necessary to wrap it up. Despite their efforts, the cause of the fire has not yet been determined.
Park officials had some other messaging on Friday as well, pointing out that the Hurricane Ridge Day Lodge was the hub for all that area’s utilities, and the fire destroyed critical elements of those utility systems.
The Park is hearing plenty from ski and snowboard enthusiasts who want the Ridge open for winter this year, and park staff are responding by saying they’ve been working diligently to get the restoration of utilities completed as efficiently as possible. Winter operations at Hurricane Ridge require functioning utility systems to ensure that they will withstand the severe winter weather conditions.
Meanwhile, the park will continue to provide the greatest supportable access to Hurricane Ridge through September but, for public safety, partial closures of the Ridge area will be necessary during the next phase of the investigation. Closures will be 1-2 days at a time. The closures will be announced once they are known.
For more information about access to Hurricane Ridge, please visit the park’s post-fire webpage: Hurricane Ridge – Post-Fire – Olympic National Park