The ski lodge at Mountain Creek, an Intrawest-owned resort in Vernon, New Jersey, was completely destroyed by fire Sunday morning. The fire, which took nearly 200 firefighters two hours to bring under control, is under investigation by the New Jersey State Police arson unit. Investigators believe the fire may have started in a dumpster next to the lodge. No one was injured in the blaze and there was no damage to any lifts or snowmaking equipment. Officials still intend to open the resort by mid-December, although the lodge will not be rebuilt before the season starts. Intrawest bought the Mountain Creek resort, formerly known as Vernon Valley-Great Gorge, in February of 1998.
