The wealthy proprietor of a historic lakeside retreat in the United States has been arrested and charged with deliberately setting fire to his own property in an alleged attempt to claim a multi-million-pound insurance payout.
‘Burn it’ messages and mounting debts
Bryce Campbell, 41, the owner of the famed Lutsen Resort Lodge on Lake Superior's north shore, was taken into custody in Southfield, Michigan, on 3 December. He now faces three felony counts of arson and one felony count of insurance fraud. The charges follow a lengthy investigation into a devastating blaze that destroyed the lodge on 6 February 2024.
Court documents reveal that in the days leading up to the fire, Campbell exchanged numerous messages with his husband where he repeatedly suggested they should "burn it." These comments were often made in the context of discussing severe financial pressures. In one exchange, after his husband noted they would be "on the hook if it burns" and could use an insurance payout to cover a debt, Campbell reportedly replied, "Works for me."
Police records detail extensive debts plaguing the business, including approximately $467,000 owed to over 80 vendors, $521,000 to the resort's previous owners, and a $277,000 debt to Highmark Builders. Business accounts showed extremely low or negative balances.
A suspicious insurance history
Investigators uncovered that Campbell had significantly increased the resort's insurance coverage twice in the years before the fire. The policy was raised to $11 million in 2022 and then again to $13 million in 2023. Campbell had purchased the lodge, designed by architect Edwin Lundie and built in 1951, for $6.75 million in 2018, claiming a further $5 million investment in renovations.
Despite initially telling police he went home, bought a pizza, and went to bed on the night of the fire, Campbell later admitted to insurance investigators that he had stopped at the lodge shortly before midnight to collect items from his desk.
Community loss and pursuit of justice
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension concluded that Campbell knowingly caused the fire to fraudulently obtain an insurance settlement. "In committing this selfish criminal act, Mr. Campbell considered his own personal benefit over the lives and livelihoods of the people he employed, while at same time destroying a treasured Minnesota landmark," said Superintendent Drew Evans.
State Fire Marshal Dan Krier emphasised the wider impact, stating, "Even in cases like these where no one is injured, arson is not a victimless crime. This community and anyone with connections to this historic resort can attest to that." The exact cause of the fire, which began in the basement area, remains officially undetermined.
As of this week, Campbell remains in the Oakland County Jail in Michigan, awaiting extradition to Minnesota to face the charges.
