SPRING GLEN – The continuing saga of the old Homowack Lodge took a more frightening turn this past weekend, as a suspicious fire broke out on Saturday morning in one of the ancillary buildings on the grounds of the former hotel. The site of the building in question, a large house that was known as the "Old Staff Quarters," is situated approximately one-half mile south of the main campus of the former resort.

The fire was apparently discovered at approximately 5 a.m. by a Times Herald Record delivery person who happened to be passing by. At the time the fire was called in, the building was already engulfed in flames, according to reports. Fire companies from the surrounding area — including Wurtsboro, Bloomingburg, Summitville, and Ellenville — responded to the blaze.

"All three stories were fully involved [in flames] at 5:10 a.m.," said Sullivan County Battalion 5 Fire Chief Bill Lothrop.

Lothrop went on to say that the building in question had been abandoned for many years, and that there were no electrical utilities serving the structure, leading investigators to suspect that the fire may have been set deliberately.

Lothrop also stated that there were several "flare-ups" later in the day Saturday, as the building had collapsed in on itself, making it difficult for fire fighters to douse the remaining embers. A bulldozer was finally brought in to shift the pile of debris, giving emergency crews the access needed in order to finally put the fire out.

Letter to: Town of Mamakating Supervisor, Board Members, and Building Department This letter is in response to the Homowack/Spring Mountain property issues. As per the newspaper articles and my visual drive by, there are numerous safety and health issues that should be addressed. I feel that the town is leaving themselves at tremendous risk allowing people to occupy the hotel for even one day knowing that these issues exist. My property abuts the Homowack property on the other side of the hill to the north. Whether I am for the Homowack expansion or against it is not the issue; there are people at risk and nothing is being done. Back approximately 30 years ago, there was a fire at the Pinegrove Hotel in Kerhonkson. Our firm, Thornton Electric, was called to restore the electric to the main buildings. The building that burned was an older two-story building that housed the help. There were six or seven young people killed in the fire. To this day, I can still remember the odor and sights of that day. Until you have witnessed a scene like that, you cannot imagine the tremendous grief and pain that exists. After the fire, they found out that certain exits may have been blocked and that the deaths were blamed on that. These violations were not known, but diligent code enforcement could have prevented that terrible tragedy. If there is a tragedy at the Homowack (God forbid), all of the people in charge of the town should be on-site all day long to experience the haunting thoughts that I still harbor from my day at the Pinegrove. With the Town of Mamakating knowing about all of the violations that exist and letting this property remain open is beyond any conscionable thought. There is potential sickness from mold, death from drowning in a Mikva, contamination of the local waterways from an inoperable sewer system, death from fire or smoke inhalation, and it is beyond belief that the town lets this go on. You can rest assured that the lawyers of the victims will know that the town is an easy target for a lawsuit, knowing full-well that these violations existed and nothing was done to protect the innocent. I hope that my letter sheds a different light on the Homowack issues. They must be protected by the laws that are set up to protect us all. If they are not in compliance, then they must be forcibly closed and made to comply before a tragedy occurs and the lawyers come a-knocking. Earl Thornton II Spring Glen

State Police investigators issued a press release Monday, stating that the fire is now considered a case of arson, and that investigators are now searching for a small, dark-colored car that was seen in the area in the hours before the fire.

Mamakating Town Supervisor Robert Fiore said that the fire only serves to highlight the dire state of many buildings on the site. However, he went on to say that there are a large number of derelict buildings in Mamakating, and that the town is currently working to identify and categorize these buildings.

State Police investigators are asking anyone who may have information on the fire to please call (845) 888-5379, or (845) 292-6600.

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SPRING GLEN – Officials from the New York State Department of Health are looking for ways to close the camp that is currently operating at the old Homowack Lodge, according to a statement released by the agency.

Mark Knudsen, district director for the NY State Department of Health (DOH) in Monticello, issued a press release stating that his office is working with Mark Fleisher, who is director of the DOH Bureau of Administrative Hearings' division of legal affairs, regarding a formal issuance of an order to have the residents vacate the premises. This order would come from the office of DOH Commissioner Richard F. Daines, according to the press release.

The statement went on to say that if Bais Trana, the organization running the camp, fails to adhere to the order — should one be necessary — then the agency would refer the matter to State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo's office in order for the matter to be adjudicated. State and town officials had been hoping that the occupants of the camp would evacuate voluntarily. However, it appeared that the camp was still in full operation as of this past weekend.

The old Homowack Lodge has been undergoing a great deal of scrutiny lately, with Town of Mamakating officials compiling a voluminous list of code violations at the site. And in the last several weeks, state officials have become involved, including the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), which recently cited the facility for an oil spill and several other violations.

Mamakating Supervisor Robert Fiore said that the town, at present, is following the lead of state agencies, and that he has every confidence that DOH will move swiftly and decisively regarding the closure of the camp.