‘It’s a devastating loss’: Amador County resort burns down in possible kitchen fire

The main lodge at Bear River Lake Resort in Amador County burned down Sunday, authorities said.

Crews with the Amador Fire Protection District said they responded early in the morning to a commercial structure fire at the resort and reported fire and heavy smoke coming from the lodge, the district said in a social media post.

“Unfortunately, the Bear River Resort Lodge is a total loss,” the district said in a statement.

Amador County Supervisor Jeff Brown said that, in initial reports, he heard the fire started in a kitchen.

Brown said the fire burned down the resort’s main building, but surrounding buildings, facilities and campgrounds remained intact.

“I don’t know how they’re going to operate,” Brown said.

Attempts by The Bee to contact Bear River staff Sunday were unsuccessful.

Brown said he visited the site and talked to some teenagers that came to see the fire’s damage, too.

“These teenagers said they had been going to that resort since they were 4 or 5 years old,” he said. “It’s a devastating loss for this county. It’s like a second home to some of these families.”