BY KEN FRANCIS, STAFF WRITER
The May 5 fire that destroyed the main building at the 4-H Camp near Lake Ann was intentionally set, says Sherburne County Camp Association Chair Sonia Brevik.
“It’s been deemed an arson by Zimmerman Fire Chief Ryan Maloney and the fire marshal,” says Brevik.
Earlier on the day of the fire, when the maintenance man had been on site to turn on the water to get ready for the camping season, there were signs of vandalism, which isn’t unusual, says Brevik.
“Some teenage kids must think it’s fun to break in and make a mess,” she says.
A deputy was called to get a report on the damage. Both the deputy and the maintenance man left about 2 p.m. Brevik says the fire started sometime between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m.
After the blaze, it was unclear whether the destruction was a result of a smaller campfire that had spread accidentally. Brevik says it’s now been determined that something from a small brush fire had been dragged to the building intentionally.
It was a total loss.
The old white building had served as the main meeting place, recreation hall, kitchen and bunkhouse for the camp since it was located at the Sand Dunes State Forest in the 1960s.
“There were lots of kids and lots of adults with lots of memories of that building,” says Brevik.
The camp association met last weekend to clean up and talk about the camp’s future.
“We’re going to rebuild,” says Brevik. “We don’t know what it’s going to look like yet. There’s lots of ideas out there. Do we just build a separate bunkhouse and have a kitchen on wheels? Or do we build a building that has a kitchen and a bunkhouse in it again?”
Whatever they decide, the design has to be approved by the DNR and the MN Dept. of Health.
“And how do we make it safer than what we had as far as vandals?” says Brevik.
The camp won’t be open this summer. The goal now is to prepare for next year.
“The biggest step we’re going to shoot for this year is to get everything cleaned up and back to green space, then have the architects get things ready so we can use the winter to get all the approvals we need,” says Brevik. “Once spring hits we can have a contractor ready to go and we can break ground and be ready for next summer. That’s our goal.”
The association has already started a fundraising campaign to fund the a new building,” says Brevik. The goal is $200,000.
“Insurance only covers a small portion of what we have to rebuild,” she says.
They’ve set up an online method and a standard method for people who want to donate to the fund.
To donate online, go to the You Caring website, type in “Sherburne County Camp Association,” and follow the prompts.
For those who want to use the conventional method, donations can be mailed to the Sherburne County Camp Association Building Fund through the Bank of Elk River, 26319 2nd Street East, Zimmerman MN, 55398.
