Wednesday, December 30, 2015, NewEnglandSkiIndustry.com
In a December 29, 2015 press release, the Vermont State Police ruled the Christmas Eve Mt. Mansfield Stone Hut fire accidental. All wood components, including the roof, floor, and furniture, were lost. Further inspections will be required to see if the stone walls and chimney can be reused.
According to the press release, occupants from the night of December 22 did not extinguish their fire in the woodstove upon leaving the following afternoon. The occupants reportedly propped open the stove door with a piece of fire wood in order to keep the hut warm for friends expecting to arrive later that day. The December 23 occupants did not arrive and a fire was reported by Stowe employees the morning of Christmas Eve.
While local fire fighters extinguished the initial fire, it caught again that afternoon, resulting in a second fire fight into the evening of Christmas Eve.
The Department of Forest, Parks, and Recreation is confident the hut will be rebuilt.
The 12-person hut, located atop the present day Fourrunner Quad chairlift, was constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1936. Due to high demand, reservations for the $225 per night hut were managed by a lottery system. A $200 deposit was required against potential damage.
