Gwinwood Retreat Center lodge on Hicks Lake destroyed by fire, Lacey fire official says
A lodge at Hicks Lake in Lacey that is part of the Gwinwood Retreat Center was destroyed by fire Tuesday afternoon, according to Lacey Fire District 3.
The cause of the fire is under investigation, Fire Lt. Craig Richards said Tuesday evening. No one was hurt in the fire, he said.
As of Wednesday morning, the fire remained under investigation and a damage estimate was still pending, although the structure is considered a total loss, Deputy Chief of Operations Jennifer Schmidt said.
In a Facebook post, Gwinwood officials said the fire had damaged MacKinnon Lodge, the center’s primary meeting space.
“Our hearts are heavy today as we look at the remains of Gwinwood’s beloved MacKinnon Lodge,” the post reads. “Thankfully, no one was hurt.”
About 1:30 p.m., fire crews were alerted by a commercial fire alarm, then began receiving reports from lake residents about black smoke. By the time fire crews arrived, a corner of the building was on fire and it spread quickly, Richards said.
Gwinwood occupies a parcel on the lake’s southwest shore, just south of a public boat launch and Wanschers Park, east of Ruddell Road.
The center was recently in the news because Gwinwood is trying to rezone some of its property.
The land is owned by a coalition of 28 churches that previously used the area as a camp, but that now run it as a nonprofit retreat center. Most of the buildings were built in 1947, The Olympian previously reported.
Lacey Fire District 3 received assistance fighting the blaze from East Olympia and Olympia fire crews, Richards said.
Hot and dry weather plus fireworks made Tuesday a busy day, Richards told The Olympian. Lacey fire crews responded to 50 calls, about half of them fire related, he said. Some of those were in the district’s service area, and others they were helping other fire districts, he said.
This story was originally published July 4, 2023 at 7:23 PM.
