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Fire Destroys Historic Structure At Death Valley National Park

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By NPT Staff - April 23rd, 2021

Rangers stand near the remnants of the historic garage in the Death Valley Scotty Historic District. The main house, in the distance, did not incur any damage/NPS photo

A historic building at Scotty's Castle in Death Valley National Park has been lost to fire.

The fire destroyed the historic garage and damaged a second historic outbuilding at Scotty’s Castle on Thursday morning, a park release said. The historic district in Death Valley has been closed for ongoing repair work after extensive flood damage in 2015. 

It was back on October 18, 2015, that a storm of historic dimensions pounded the national park and sent torrents down through Grapevine Canyon that uprooted utilities, swept away sections of roads, and flooded buildings at Scotty's Castle. While much has been done to repair the damage, it's expected to take until the end of 2022 to have the iconic park destination ready to welcome the public back for regular tours of the grounds and castle.

Upon arriving at the worksite Thursday morning, construction workers spotted a fire within the garage and long shed buildings and worked to stop the fire from spreading further into the long shed.

When firefighters from the park and the Beatty Volunteer Fire Department arrived the fire was mostly contained. Crews monitored for hotspots and stabilized the remains of the structures. A deputy from the Inyo County Sheriff's Office also responded.

The historic main house and other surrounding historic structures were unharmed. The cause of the fire is unknown and under investigation.

The historic garage, which was used as a visitor center, was the most heavily damaged building in the October 2015 flash flood. 

Scotty’s Castle was constructed in the 1920s as a vacation home for Albert and Bessie Johnson, millionaires from Chicago. Since its construction, Scotty’s Castle has drawn visitors seeking the truth behind the legend that it was built on a gold mine owned by the Johnsons’ friend, Walter “Scotty” Scott. 

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