A tragic fire incident occurred at Oregon’s Timberline Lodge, or the Overlook Hotel that was featured in the 1980 horror classic starring Jack Nicholson, The Shining. An inferno erupted in the attic of the 55,000 square feet structure, however, firefighters arrived on time to save the building from further ruin.
The hotel’s employees led guests to emergency safe spots while the fire crew handled the flames for two hours. Although the incident was restricted to a small part of the resort, the ski area remains closed. Some people also saved pieces of art and furniture from the scene for keepsakes as “historic assets.”
What caused the fire at the Overlook Hotel?
Although the cause of the fire has yet to be confirmed, reports say flying embers from a chimney may have started it. According to a post from Clackamas Fire, “the U.S. Forest Service will be conducting the investigation with the help of federal resources.” The lodge, which opened in 1937, was featured in Kubrick’s chilling film with exterior shots in the opening scenes and other parts of the hotel showing in final cuts.
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Social media users reacted to the news on X, formerly Twitter, and expressed gratitude to the firefighters. “I’m still in shock. We just had our wedding there last weekend and feel the impact for everyone’s jobs, events, and weddings being affected by this fire, just thankful there are no reported injuries,” someone stated. “Good work, glad you kept the damage to a minimum. What a gorgeous building,” a second user added.
While speaking on The Shining with Michel Ciment, Kubrick said there was a “genuinely frightening thing about this hotel which nestles high up on the slopes of Mount Hood.”
“Mount Hood, as it happens, is a dormant volcano, but it has quite recently experienced pre-eruption seismic rumbles similar to the ones that a few months earlier preceded the gigantic eruption of Mount St. Helens, less than sixty miles away,” he revealed. “If Mount Hood should ever erupt like Mount St. Helens, then the Timberline Hotel may indeed share the fiery fate of the novel’s Overlook Hotel.”
He also recalled how he had to change room number 217 to an inexistent 237 in the movie because “the hotel management were afraid their guests might not want to stay in room 217 after seeing the film.” He also revealed that a lot of work involved art director Roy Walker going “around America photographing hotels which might be suitable for the story,” and such work was put into finding a fitting building.