– Inyo County Sheriff’s Office press release
Thusday evening at approximately 6:30 PM the Inyo County Sheriff’s Office was notified of a structure fire in the Furnace Creek area of Death Valley National Park. The Furnace Creek laundry facility located near the historic Furnace Creek Inn was completely engulfed in flames; Farabee’s Jeep Rental suffered some minor damage. No injuries were reported.
An investigator was requested through the Inyo County Sheriff’s Office to follow up on cause and origin; those details will be made available once the investigation concludes.
In addition to the Inyo County Sheriff’s Office the following agencies assisted: Beatty Volunteer Fire Department, Southern Inyo Volunteer Fire Department, and National Park Service. California Highway Patrol provided traffic control.
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Hi, we were at the Ranch this past week. The facility was across the street from the Inn. We heard sirens on Thursday night and were told by employees that the laundry had a fire necessitating closure of the pools due to needing the water for the fire. On Friday, as we were leaving, the CHP had set up a detour and it looked like a total loss. I am not sure if there was a second flare up or if that was the damage from the original fire.
From the photos I’ve seen of the fire and its aftermath on Facebook, the laundry facility was across CA190 from the historical Furnace Creek Inn proper. It was a historic building built at the same time as the Inn as a support building but not part of the Inn itself. Google Streets shows the building intact still, so you can compare that with the photos on Facebook to get a better idea of what burnt. Basically the entire main portion of the building burnt to the ground, leaving only the additions built to its outside over the years in varying levels of destruction.
How long did it take the fire department to respond?
Death Valley NP is a great winter destination for many of us, and this particular fire doesn’t really detract from the overall experience. But the news article failed to mention if the laundry facility was an actual part of the historical Furnace Creek Inn, or was a recent addition to the building? Also, was it a privately owned structure or strictly used by the Inn for their commercial operations? Perhaps an update will ensue sometime next week. Thanks to all the agencies for staying on top of what must have been a major scare for Inn employees!