Minnesota officials say burned lodge has 3 unresolved inspection violations – Winnipeg Free Press

ST. PAUL, Minnesota — Regulators said Wednesday that a historic lodge that was destroyed in a fire had three unresolved violations from a recent fire code inspection, but it was unclear whether those violations played a role in the blaze.

An employee at the Lutsen Lodge in Lake Superior noticed smoke coming from electrical outlets on the floor of the lobby around 12:30 a.m. Tuesday. The employee complied and no guests checked in, but the lodge was destroyed.

The state fire marshal conducted an inspection in July and found seven violations, according to a press release from the Minnesota Department of Public Safety. The department said four of them were repaired by the property owner.

“In the investigation, it is too early to determine whether the three violations are related to the fire,” the report said.

A message was left with the resort on Wednesday.

The state said it was unclear when the investigation would be completed.