Scotty’s Castle to reopen after fire
Scotty’s Castle at Death Valley National Park is slated to reopen Thursday, one week after firefighters contained a wildfire on the grounds of the historic mansion.
The National Park Service announced Wednesday that water and power service had been restored to the castle, allowing tours to resume Thursday morning.
The fire broke out May 22 at the northern end of the castle grounds. The blaze blackened about 15 acres of brush and caused minor damage to one outbuilding, but no other structures were damaged.
Fire crews from the Park Service, the Bureau of Land Management and the U. S. Forest Service contained the fire on May 23.
The cause is still under investigation, though one park official said it was likely sparked when an electrical line came into contact with a plant.
Scotty’s Castle, about 180 miles northwest of Las Vegas, is one of the most visited sites in Death Valley National Park.
The elaborate, Spanish-style mansion was built in the 1920s and 1930s. The Park Service has been conducting guided tours of the mansion since the 1970s.
