Alaska Highway History

An Explorer's Guide to the Alaska Highway ("Alcan")

The story of the Scotty Creek Lodge

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner August 5, 1959

    Flames early today completely destroyed all the main buildings of Scotty Creek Lodge, a famed Alaska Highway hostelry located at Mile 1226. There were only a few tourists in the lodge at the time the fire broke out, and all escaped from the blaze.

    The fire consumed the bar, restaurant and hotel, and also destroyed an adjacent building occupied by the owners, Mr. and Mrs. Fred Lappi, The two owners were visiting in Anchorage at the the fire broke out. They were notified by telephone today.

    The destroyed buildings were valued at approximately $150,000. It was reported that the loss was not covered by insurance.

    First warning of the fire came at 11 p.m. yesterday when patrons at the bar smelled smoke. After an investigation that turned up no flames, it was decided that the smoke was probably due to electrical trouble. No further attention was paid to the matter.

    However, early this moming, after all the patrons and employes had retired, a fire broke out which spread quickly.

    A call for help was sent to Border City, approximately a half-mile away. Mr. and Mrs. Matt Graybeck responded, and hurried to the blazing lodge to help fire fighters.

    However, it proved impossible to stem the flames, and the buildings were a total loss.

    Had the flames broken out 24 hours later, there would have been at least 47 tourists in the building. The lodge is used by Canadian buses as an overnight stop, and 47 tourists were enroute there this morning.

    Alaska Overland ioday was revamping schedules in an attempt to keep passengers flowing north and south over the highway without the use of the lodge.

    It is planned to take south-bound passengers to Beaver Creek where they will be transferred to Canadian buses. Then the Alaska buses will pick up northbound visitors and take them back to Tok Junction to sleep for the night.

    Quick thinking on the part of employees of the Scotty Creek Lodge was credited today with preventing loss of life when flames destroyed the structure early yesterday.

    Approximately 30 people, most of whom had retired for the night, were in the building when flames were discovered on the outside of the structure.

    Elmer Grogan, a cook in the lodge, said that the fire was apparently caused by a short circuit in a wire carrying electricity to a sign on the building.

    "About 12:30 we smelled smoke in the cocktail lounge. A patron who had just left the bar suddenly reappeared in the room and shouted that there was a fire outside," Grogan said.

    A waitress and other employees aroused all sleeping guests.

    "Wake up, don't get excited, take all your belongings, and leave the building," the waitress shouted to occupants in each room. Instructions were followed and all patrons escaped with all of their belongings. Only thing missing after the fire was a watch belonging to a woman tourist.

    One of the tourists who escaped from the building was C. L. Richardson, bank president from Forest City, Mo. He and his wife, Ethyl, his brother Herbert and wife Bernice, were journeying up the highway on vacation when they happened to stop at the lodge for a night. Luckily, Richardson is not only a bank president, but he once was a fire chief.

    "There was no hope of putting that fire out," he said. "But I did take a few men into the owners dwelling and rescued most of the furniture before the fire reached there."

    Richardson also shot a picture of the fire which is shown below.

    "All I have to say is that I got one hot reception in Alaska," he said.