Fire destroys restaurant and ticketing office at Nordic Valley resort

EDEN, Utah (ABC4) — An early morning fire on Monday, Jan. 15, destroyed a barn containing a restaurant, ticketing offices, and business offices at the Nordic Valley Ski Resort in Weber County, according to officials.

Nordic Valley General Manager Pascal Begin told ABC4 that groomers working on the mountain noticed the flames just before 2 a.m. and immediately dialed 911. By the time firefighters arrived seven minutes later, flames were already coming through the sides of the barn and moving into the roof.

“By the time we were able to get water on it, it was in the roof, so one section of the roof had collapsed,” explained Weber Fire Battalion Chief Mark Lund. Lund said wind and frigid icy conditions as well as the progress of the flames made it difficult to battle.

Begin said the fire had completely destroyed the barn which housed the ticketing office, a restaurant and the business offices for the ski resort. After a preliminary investigation, Begin said the barn could be condemned, though nothing is official as of Monday morning.

“The barn was built around 1968 when the resort first opened. It’s been a historical kind of relic,” said Begin. “Everyone who comes out here always talks about the barn and has been vocal about not wanting to see it go. It’s been sad to see that barn go. It’s been up for such a long time.”

Lund told ABC4 that an investigation into what caused the fire is still ongoing. Fortunately, no one was inside the building at the time so there have been no reported injuries.

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Begin said because the ticketing equipment was destroyed in the fire, Nordic Valley Ski Resort would have to remain closed until they can get new equipment to print and validate lift tickets. While he didn’t give an estimate for when the resort would reopen, Begin said it shouldn’t be long since no lifts were damaged.

“We’re going to be able to ski very fast. It’s a matter of being able to sell tickets and validate tickets,” said Begin. He did not have an estimate on when the resort would be able to reopen, however, uphill skiers are free to use the mountain.

Nordic Valley Ski Resort confirmed anyone who has already purchased lift tickets will receive a credit to return to the resort on another date.

Nordic Valley, located about 50 miles north of Salt Lake City, is one of many northern Utah ski resorts. According to the Ski Utah snow report, the resort recently saw a bump in snow totals thanks to the recent storms that passed through the state. In the last 48 hours, Nordic Valley recorded 17 inches of new snow bringing its year-to-date total to 61 inches.

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