A suspected lightning strike sparked a fire Wednesday morning around 11:20 at Lake Barkley State Resort Park, damaging a portion of the main lodge that is already undergoing a major renovation.
No injuries were reported, and Park Manager Ashley Joiner said the fire appears to have been contained to an area near the roof of the Windows on the Water dining room.
Firefighters from the East Golden Pond and Cadiz fire departments responded to the park, along with emergency medical personnel.
Joiner said early indications point to lightning striking the east side of the dining room roof and igniting a fire that spread inside the building.
Park employees extinguished the fire inside before firefighters checked the roof and surrounding areas to make sure it had not spread.
Crews used a drone and lift to inspect the roof and confirm that the fire was completely out.
Joiner was inside the lodge when the storm moved through and said there was little doubt lightning had struck somewhere nearby.
Joiner thanked firefighters, EMS personnel and others for their quick response.
The fire was located near the upper portion of the dining room on what Joiner described as the salad bar side of the restaurant. She said it was near the top of an exterior eave where the windows meet the roof.
While an assessment of the damage was continuing Wednesday, Joiner said the fire isn’t expected to cause a significant setback for the renovation project.
Some water cleanup will be necessary because of efforts to extinguish the fire, and the roof will likely need repairs.
That part is especially frustrating, Joiner said, because the lodge’s roof was recently replaced as part of the renovation.
Wednesday’s fire came during one of the largest renovation projects undertaken at Lake Barkley State Resort Park in decades. The $17 million project includes structural repairs, a new roof, safety improvements, renovated walkway canopies, pool improvements and a new sun terrace overlooking the lake.
Joiner said in June that the restaurant itself was likely to return before Christmas. In the meantime, food service has been operating from a temporary location in the convention center.
The lodge has also been operating with extremely limited room availability since November while construction continues.
Story republished in partnership with Your News Edge/WKDZ
Photo by Scott Brown
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