New Year’s Eve fire at Ness Lake Bible Camp  photo courtesy Trudy Mothus

Prince George, B.C. – Ness Lake resident, Trudy Mothus, was just about to toast in the arrival of the New Year in Winnipeg at 10pm local time last night when she noticed a fire raging across the lake.

Mothus, a professional photographer, did not even have time to grab her tripod – she started snapping some handheld shots through her windows and off her balcony.

The blaze broke out in the large wooden gymnasium that is one of 35 buildings situated on the 70-acres that make up Ness Lake Bible Camp.  NLBC was hosting a weekend New Year’s Eve camp for teens in grades 8 to 12.  And the Chief of the Ness Lake Volunteer Fire Department is crediting staff with doing an admirable job in evacuating everyone safely.  There were 25 teens and between 20 and 25 staff members at the camp when the fire started.  Camp Director, Will Born, says no one was in the gym at the time.  The cause of the fire has yet to be determined.

Mothus says the photo at right shows the fire at its peak.  She says the blaze grew to its height in a matter of minutes.

"Between 15-minutes before where there’s nothing, to 15-minutes later where you’ve got this massive ball of fire topping the trees – it’s amazing what can happen in 15-minutes.

The fire completely gutted the gymnasium and just rubble remained when 250 News was given permission to take some photographs of the destruction this afternoon.

The photo at left shows the downed hydro lines, as the utility pole fell toward the debris. 

In the background is the large dining hall that fire fighters were able to prevent the flames from spreading to – the hall and a nearby cabin suffered just superficial damage.

 The view looking into the camp from the lake this afternoon was deceivingly serence.

With the crater that was once the gym hidden behind the dining hall (at left in photo below)…it’s hard to believe there’s anything amiss.