Fire levels old lodge on Kezar Lake in Lovell

LOVELL – The cause of a weekend fire that destroyed a historic lodge on Kezar Lake may never be known, investigators from the state Fire Marshal’s Office said.

No injuries were reported in the Saturday morning blaze that leveled one of the grand old buildings on the grounds of Severance Lodge.

“We kind of realized that if this ever happened, this is the way it would be. There was no way to stop it because the building is so old,” maintenance supervisor Russell Allen told WCSH-TV in Portland.

Firefighters arrived to find a 40-foot wall of flames, but there was nothing they could do to save the building, Fire Chief Mark Moulton said. He said the main concern was keeping the fire from spreading to other structures.

Because a nearby hydrant was too close to the flames, firefighters had to break ice on Kezar Lake to gain access to water.

The lodge had burned in 1918 and was rebuilt three years later. Its most recent use has been as condominium units. The owners of the building hope to rebuild.