The Minnesota Fire Marshal’s Office has determined that the fire at Bluefin Bay Resort in Tofte on Saturday, June 8, 2013 was accidental “due to clearances not maintained with chimney area construction.”
According to Investigator James Iammatteo’s report, the distance markings on the wood burning stove advised 2 inches of clear air space. The chimney in Bluefin Bay unit 45 was measured to be 1.75 inches. The report said insulation had been installed which permitted heat to transfer through the insulation and cause the nearby 2”x4” members to combust over time.
Reached by phone, Bluefin Bay Resort General Manager Dennis Rysdahl said the Bluefin Bay homeowners association had decided to replace all of the stove and chimney systems a few years ago. He said the association recognized that the systems, some of them 27 years old, were aging and needed to be updated. About half of the stoves had been replaced.
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