Fire at Avalon

PAW PAW, W.Va. — Volunteer firefighters from at least five counties were battling a fire Tuesday evening at the Avalon Resort in the Paw Paw area.

Firefighters from Morgan, Hampshire, Mineral, Allegany and Frederick counties were called to the resort at 223 Avalon Road just before 4 p.m.

According to its website, Avalon is a clothing-optional resort located on over 140 acres of woodland.

OH MY. Update--Lodge destroyed

Oh no...

We spent a lovely NYE there, many years ago. Such good people there! My heart goes out to you guys!

Bill_S--please post when you can.

Hi Carol, we were up there but headed back home a couple hours before it broke out. Here’s what we know so far:

Most importantly NOBODY WAS INJURED thank God!

Julie, the general manager, and two others were in the dining room around 3:40 pm or so working to set up for the New Years Eve dinner when smoke started coming out of the ceiling in the hallway that is flanked by the guest rooms. Julie made a quick call to 911 and she and the other two started running sown the hallway pounding on every door and shouting FIRE! ... at great risk to themselves. They are heros - EVERYONE got out safely.

The fire spread quickly along the hallway ceiling and then into the dining room and kitchen... It took about 10 minutes for the first responders to arrive on scene and the Deputy Chief immediately radioed for a second alarm and a (water) Tanker Chain. Fire companies from four states responded.

It was windy that day which also did not help, but the fire companies managed to stop the spread of the fire and eventually extinguishing it. Despite being connected to the lodge hallway, the flames were not allowed to continue spreading and both the Nudsino and Indoor pool / aquatic center were saved.

It was determined to be an electrical fire in the ceiling of the lodge hallway.

Now the recovery and rebuild begins...

A sad day indeed but nobody was injured.

Bill

Bill--thanks for the update. A very sad day indeed, but so glad to hear that no one was injured. Best wishes to all there and hopefully you are able to rebuild, bigger and better..