Lutsen Resort Owner Set Fire To His Own Historic Lodge, Filed Millions In Insurance Claims: State Police

ST. PAUL, MN — The owner of the historic Lutsen Resort Lodge has been arrested and charged with multiple felony counts of arson and insurance fraud in connection with the February 2024 fire that destroyed the North Shore landmark, state officials announced Wednesday.

Bryce James Campbell, 41, of Two Harbors, was taken into custody Dec. 3 in Southfield, Michigan. He is being held in Oakland County, Michigan, pending extradition to Minnesota.

Campbell faces a maximum sentence of 20 years per arson count and up to 20 years on the fraud charge if convicted.

Prosecutors have charged Campbell with three counts of first-degree arson and one count of insurance fraud.

The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and the State Fire Marshal led the investigation, with assistance from multiple local and federal agencies.

Investigators concluded that Campbell intentionally set the fire "with the intent to defraud," according to the criminal complaint.

BCA financial-crimes agents determined he was experiencing significant debt and had discussed the resort’s financial troubles in the weeks leading up to the blaze.

The State Fire Marshal found the fire began in the southwest basement area above the boiler room, beneath the lodge lobby. While the precise ignition method remains undetermined, investigators said the circumstances pointed to a deliberately caused fire.

"In committing this selfish criminal act, Mr. Campbell considered his own personal benefit over the lives and livelihoods of the people he employed, while at the same time destroying a treasured Minnesota landmark," BCA Superintendent Drew Evans said in a statement.

The lodge burned overnight on Feb. 6, 2024, prompting a large response from area fire departments. No injuries were reported, but the loss devastated the resort community and employees who lived on-site or worked at the property.

Cook County Sheriff Pat Eliasen said investigators worked "methodically" through one of the region’s most complex fire scenes. State Fire Marshal Dan Krier said he hopes the charges bring “closure and a sense of justice” to those affected.

Campbell filed an insurance claim the same day the resort burned, according to the complaint, eventually submitting a sworn statement reporting more than 16 million dollars in losses.

Cook County Attorney Jeanne Peterson said her office will prosecute the case with assistance from state and federal partners.