SAM Magazine--Mars Hill, N.C., March 26, 2014--A lodge located at the top of Wolf Ridge Ski Resort burned to the ground during the early hours today. Called the Ridge Lodge, it was built to handle overflow from the base area lodge and to accommodate guests staying in the resort's cabins at the summit. The lodge was unoccupied at the time of the fire as the resort was closed. Also falling victim to the fire was part of a top lift terminal. A spokesperson at the resort told SAM, "We were blessed that no-one was hurt and that the 40 to 50 mph winds we were experiencing were blowing in the right direction and our cabins were spared."

A local news station, wyff4, reported that fire-fighting efforts were hampered by snow and cold temperatures, as well as a steep access road. The building was fully engulfed by the time they arrived and collapsed five minutes later.

The resort does not know what started the fire. Pictures of the fire can be seen here.