ROBERT WILLETT - robert.willett@newsobserver.com
A van used to transport day campers, and the cinderblock walls of the Shire building are all that is left standing after an early morning fire at Camp Riverlea in Bahama, north of Durham. The Shire housed all of the camp's equipment during the winter. Lost to the fire were canoes, kayaks, archery, ping-pong tables and musical instruments.
DURHAM -- A popular summer camp suffered a minor setback after its main building burned to the ground this morning.
But Joe Harris, business manager and director of Camp Riverlea, said camp will continue this summer as planned.
"We're going to be open and it's only a portion of the facilites that was involved," Harris said while boarding a flight to Raleigh-Durham International Airport from Atlanta. "All the outdoor stuff is still available and it's relatively easy to replace the meeting space and the bathrooms. It's certainly not a question if, it's just whether what direction to go."
A passerby notified emergency operators of flames coming from the building about 6 a.m., said Chief Howard Sykes of the Lebanon Volunteer Fire Department. Firefighters from Lebanon, Bahama, Caldwell and Timberlake volunteer fire departments responded to the blaze. No injuries were reported. Firefighters remained on the scene this afternoon as investigators determine how the fire started.
The northern Durham County camp, located on South Lowell Road in Bahama, opened in 1971 with 16 campers and six counselors. Currently the camp averages 135 campers a day and has 40 staffers.
Most activities happen on the camp's 100 acres of land. Other facilities include two swimming pools, two rivers and an arts and crafts house. The main building, which was heavily damaged by this morning's fire, was used for assemblies and housed bathrooms, changing rooms and a kitchen.
Harris said the camp, which opens in mid-June, is considering using large tents while the building is being rebuilt. He plans on talking to a builder and an architect while in Durham.
"We're looking forward to a great summer with a minor setback," he said. "It's a challenge, not a problem."
