NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – The owner of the Wilbur Hot Springs resort in Colusa County said he plans to rebuild the resort's historic lodge that was badly damaged by a fire last weekend.
The fire occurred last Saturday, March 29, as Lake County News has reported.
Dr. Richard Miller, who has owned the resort since 1972, said Tuesday that he plans to rebuild the lodge, which has been a popular spot for visitors for well over a century.
“We will rebuild and continue to be here for the community as a place of refuge,” said Dr. Miller.
The fire, which witnesses said began in a second story guest room, consumed the second and third floors of the hotel at Wilbur Hot Springs in a matter of hours.
There were no injuries among the estimated 60 guests staying at the lodge at the time. No other structures on the property were destroyed or damaged.
The exact cause of the fire is under investigation, according to a Tuesday statement from the resort.
Miller, his wife Jolee and daughter Sarana Miller, and friend Bruce Blake were eating breakfast in the dining hall at around 9:45 a.m. Saturday when a guest approached them to say he smelled smoke upstairs, according to the resort's report.
All four rushed to the scene, accompanied by a few others, and found one of the westside rooms on fire. They attempted to battle the blaze with fire extinguishers but the smoke and flames spread rapidly. Within minutes, the entire upstairs was engulfed in flames.
Following training procedures, staff evacuated the hotel and guided guests to safety a quarter mile from the blaze. Dr. Miller and some staff used fire hoses to try to continue to fight the fire.
Dr. Miller was determined to save his beloved hotel and was forcibly pulled from the scene by his daughter Sarana, who witnesses said saved his life.
By the time firefighters from Maxwell, Williams, Capay Valley, and Lake County arrived, the hotel was beyond saving. Instead, firefighters set to mitigating the damage and securing the buildings surrounding the hotel.
Wilbur’s prized attraction, the hot springs Fluminarium with its three mineral soaking flumes, was untouched by the fire. The hotel was not insured.
Ezekiel Wilbur first opened the hot springs to the public in 1865. The hotel was built in 1915.
Visitors came from far and wide by boat, train, and stagecoach to take in the healing waters from natural hot springs that flowed from an underground reservoir.
The property changed hands several times and was purchased in disrepair in 1972 by Dr. Miller, a psychologist who was seeking a place to create a therapeutic environment for people to heal themselves through exposure to nature and soaking in the sulfur and lithium-rich hot springs waters. Dr. Miller reopened the hotel and bathing flumes to the public in the same year.
Ten years later, Dr. Miller closed Wilbur to the public one week a month to run the internationally-renowned Cokenders program, a residential addiction treatment program.
Utilizing Wilbur’s therapeutic environment and healing waters, he successfully detoxified over 1,500 heavily-addicted patients without medicating or hospitalizing a single one. Other health-related seminars and workshops followed.
The majority of Wilbur’s clientèle have been individuals, couples and small groups seeking a quiet getaway from the hectic pace of city life.
“I always envisioned Wilbur as a cutting-edge preventive and maintenance health facility,” said Dr. Miller. “People come here to rejuvenate, restore, and relax in an atmosphere offering retreat in a natural, safe, dignified and respectful environment.”
Wilbur Hot Springs has been off-grid since its beginnings and was a pioneer in the use of solar power. The European-style hotel had 23 private rooms with shared toilets on every floor and an 11-bed bunk room.
It had gone through several renovations under Dr. Miller’s leadership, including the addition of a third floor. The community kitchen was a favorite feature of the hotel for many guests, who brought their own food to cook and share meals together – or eat privately – in the spacious dining hall or the hotel’s veranda.
Guests relaxed and played music together in the community room or read and napped on large couches in the library. Sarana Miller led popular yoga retreats on site for more than 10 years.
The quiet of Wilbur and its surrounding natural acreage has always been a big draw for guests. Due to its remote location, Wilbur is relatively free of light, air, and noise pollution, making it an ideal place to stargaze and immerse oneself in nature.
A 1,560-acre nature preserve adjoins the 240-acre Wilbur property and features miles of trails for guests to hike and bike, as well as the Fountain of Life geyser, a unique stone monolith which regularly erupts every hour.
In the spirit of Wilbur, plans for renewal are already under way, Miller said.
“Wilbur will reopen very soon, welcoming day use visitors, campers and a limited number of overnight guests in our Solar Lodge,” he said.
Miller reported that there has been an outpouring of community support worldwide in response to the fire.
Community members may make contributions to a fund for rebuilding and staffing. There also will be ways for people to volunteer for the cleanup and rebuilding effort.
For status updates, or for information on how to help, check the Web site at www.wilburhotsprings.com .