A massive fire has broken out at the hotel in Oregon that Jack Nicholson’s landmark film The Shining made famous.
While many Stanley Kubrick fans may know the lonely locale as The Overlook Hotel, where creepy twins chillingly told Nicholson’s character Jack Torrance to “Come play with us,” the Timberline Lodge is a family-friendly lodge nestled within Mount Hood’s wintry backdrop.
On Thursday evening, a commercial fire broke out inside the renowned 55,000-square-foot building while visitors were still there.
On social media, the Clackamas Fire Department announced the dispatch of multiple personnel from the Hoodland, Gresham, and Estacada fire departments to the scene.
There were no reported injuries, and all guests and workers were safely evacuated, according to KGW.
By 11 p.m., the fire department reported that crews had “a good knock-down on the fire and are doing everything they can to preserve the historic assets that exist here,” according to KTVZ.
According to fire officials, the fire, which had touched the roof and part of the attic, was under control by 11.12 p.m. and had not spread further throughout the building.
Following the flooding of the hotel’s main lobby, crews helped remove furnishings and artwork.
Timberline’s management informed KGW that interior damage looks modest, with no internal smoke or fire.
John Burton, the lodge’s marketing director, expressed gratitude to the fire crews, noting that this was “a first” for them at the historic hotel.
“I believe we just need to look at this because it could have been much worse,” Mr. Burton told the site. “It was extremely windy, so it didn’t help the cause, but [I] can’t thank the first responders enough.”
Mr. Burton added that he believes embers from the main chimney ignited the fire, but authorities have yet to confirm this.
The US Forest Service will look into the cause of the fire.
Taylor Hatmaker and her wife were staying at Timberline Lodge when they suddenly heard the fire alarm go off. She stated that when they exited the building, they saw sparks flying off the central chimney spire.
“It’s emotional to see something so symbolic of our state, with so much history, on fire.” “It’s such a historic and unique building,” she told The Oregonian.
“Timberline means a lot of things to a lot of people.”
Much of The Shining was shot at Elstree Studios in the United Kingdom; however, the Timberline Lodge appears in the film’s opening sequence as the fictional Overlook Hotel, as well as in a few other scenes.
Kubrick received advice during filming not to use room number 217 (the room in the book) in the production because it might turn off future lodge guests.
Instead, they used Room 237, which didn’t exist.
However, according to the lodge’s website, Room 217 receives more requests than any other room.
The resort is famous for more than just the 1980 cult classic film.
When it opened in 1937, the Timberline Lodge made headlines, with then-President Franklin D. Roosevelt officially opening it and delivering a speech to the throng.
According to the lodge’s website, the lodge eventually received a National Historic Landmark designation in 1977 and is now one of Oregon’s most popular tourist destinations, drawing about two million visitors annually.
