ASH RIVER – The restaurant at Ash-Ka-Nam Restaurant and Bar was deemed a total loss Tuesday from a fire that broke out earlier that morning.
At 9:30 a.m., a thick cloud of black smoke still filled the air at the end of the Ash River Trail.
No injuries were reported.
Mindy Hraban, who owns the business along with her parents Mark and Lynette, said it was a little after 6:30 a.m. Tuesday when her father told her to call 911.
“My dad yelled that the resort was on fire,” she said. “I ran outside and it was already engulfed.”
The family lives at the resort property.
The fire was so big by the time Hraban saw it that she said there was nothing to do but watch the flames destroy the resort the family has owned for nine years.
“I just sat and sobbed and watched all my memories go down,” she said, adding her brother, Cole, was a firefighter on the scene.
It appears the fire started inside the unoccupied restaurant, according to a news release from the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office. The cause of the fire is under investigation by the sheriff’s office and the Minnesota State Fire Marshal. No other information was available as of press time.
Hraban said the tragedy was especially difficult this time of year as the business heads into one of its busier seasons.
“We just got snow and we were just getting started,” she said. “I’m thinking about all my customers. How do I call them?”
On the same note, Hraban credited friends and family members for the support they’ve already given her family.
“We’re getting so many kind words,” she said. “I’ve already gotten so many calls – some from people I haven’t talked to in months telling me they’ll come help in any way they can. I’m so thankful for all the support. We’re a strong family, we will get through this.”
