NORTH SHORE, Minn. — Bryce Campbell, owner of the historic Lutsen Resort, has been charged with arson and insurance fraud over a fire that destroyed the resort’s lodge in February 2024.
Campbell, 41, was arrested in Southfield, Michigan, and is being held pending extradition to Minnesota, authorities said. The fire occurred shortly after midnight on Feb. 6, 2024, when the lodge’s night auditor reported smoke rising from the building. Court documents indicate Campbell later admitted to investigators that he had stopped at the resort around 11:45 p.m. to retrieve a bag from his office.
Financial records highlighted significant financial difficulties prior to the fire. Lutsen Resort owed nearly $500,000 to approximately 80 entities, and Campbell’s other company had a negative bank balance. Additionally, insurance policies on the resort were substantially increased in the years before the fire—from $8.49 million in 2022 to $13 million in May 2023. Campbell filed an insurance claim for $16.5 million in October 2024.
Investigators with the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and State Fire Marshal reported that the fire originated in the southwest basement near the water heater, with residue similar to a fire accelerant found at the scene. Campbell told the night auditor he had turned on the gas valve, though investigators noted he was typically “hands-off” with mechanical issues.
Campbell is facing three counts of arson and one count of insurance fraud. The incident has drawn scrutiny from the North Shore community, prompting local journalist Joe Friedrichs to investigate Campbell earlier this year.
Lutsen Lodge has a long history dating back 140 years, with the current lodge—destroyed in 2024—originally built in 1952 as a replica of the 1949 structure that also burned down.
