Camp George plans to welcome campers as scheduled this summer despite a fire in January that destroyed its dining hall in Seguin Township, a camp official said.
“Our plans for the summer are in place and no programming will be affected,” said Rich Handloff, assistant vice president with the Union for Reform Judaism, which operates the camp.
A temporary structure will be in place by June to replace the dining hall lost in the Jan. 2 blaze, Handloff said. The space will serve the same purpose and function as the original hall, which also housed the camp’s kitchen.
The fire, reported around 5 p.m., destroyed the building but caused no injuries. Firefighters from all four of Seguin’s stations responded to the scene using tanker shuttles and lake-fed pumps to fight the flames. At the time, Fire Chief Sean Carroll said icy conditions and the camp’s remote location made the response challenging. The fire’s cause remains under investigation, though officials said there is no indication of foul play.
Handloff said staff are looking forward to the summer season and preparing to host campers from across Canada and the U.S.
A fundraising campaign to support the rebuild is ongoing on the camp’s website.
