BEAVER, Utah — While the Cottonwood Fire still burns in parts of central Utah, the owner of the heavily damaged Eagle Point Resort shared how the "hardest part is over," with the focus now set firmly on rebuilding.
For the first time since the fire started on June 22, the resort allowed media on-site to see the extent of the damage and the toll it has taken on those who worked there.
While at the resort Thursday, owner Shane Gadbaw shared how 105 condominiums and 40 of the location's cabins were destroyed in the fire, including the Canyonside Lodge. The ski lift behind the destroyed lodge was also severely damaged, along with three others around the resort.
In all, 145 families who lost their homes or condos were affected by the fire, as were 300 of the resort's 600 skiable acres.
“It was devastating. Just lifelong of my knick-knacks, my weird toys, things I’ve collected over the years, it’s really hard," shared Eagle Point employee Samantha Garcia.
Garcia isn’t just a resort employee; she's also one of the families whose homes were destroyed.
“I lost about 90% of my things," she said. "I was able to go in and grab some photos, love letters from my boyfriend, handwritten notes, those kind of sentimental things.”
While devastating to see in person, Gadbaw said hopes of returning remain high among staff because large parts of the resort were untouched by the flames.
“I know it’ll be better. I know it’ll be more resilient. I mean I’m sure it’ll look different; it’s forever different," explained Gadbaw.
However, any excitement has been tempered by management having to lay off members on the resort side of operations due to the inability to open for the summer.
Of the resort's 15 full-time employees, Eagle Point has only been able to keep two, and that doesn't include the 100 seasonal employees who have no resort to currently work at, although Gadbaw said he has been helping those team members transition to other construction projects.
When the resort does reopen, it will be a different landscape, but the same community.
"There were a lot of things that were just priceless that are gone, but we’ve been very lucky and blessed. Some of our friends lost everything, but it’s a very near and dear place to my heart," shared Eagle Point general manager Tanner Larsen.
Homeowners return to find what survived the Cottonwood Fire:
Despite the losses, the memories made in the canyon can’t be burned.
“I’ve said it so many times, it was just things I lost," said Garcia. "It will never take away those beautiful mornings that I got to have up on the mountains, having a nice warm coffee outside."
Gadbaw is now focused on getting the resort back up and running as soon as possible, working on insurance issues, and then on cleanup efforts. He said closing Eagle Point, for any amount of time, is tough as it is a community he has worked so hard to build. For that reason, he's not giving up anytime soon.
"I'm here for the long haul," said Gadbaw. "This is my life's work."
Apart from the rebuilding efforts at Eagle Point, hundreds, if not thousands, are attempting to rebuild their lives following the Cottonwood Fire. The BeaverTUF foundation has been established to help everyone recover through funding for restoration and community needs.
“The road ahead won't be short, but BeaverTUF gives all of us an opportunity to come together and help build what's next,” Gadbaw said. “This foundation is about helping Beaver County recover and emerge stronger from this tragedy.:
