Fire In Pump House At Local Ski Spot Halts Snowmaking Effort Temporarily

Things started out great on Tuesday afternoon, when the local ski spot, Hermon Mountain, began to make snow for this upcoming season.

But then things took a terrible turn around midnight, as their pump house caught fire, eventually burning the main pump and the motor inside.

According to the Hermon Mountain Facebook Page, quick action by the Hermon and Hampden Fire Departments kept the damage from spreading.

"A huge thank you to the Hermon and Hampden fire departments that responded and put the fire out quickly and even helped drain the water pipes on the mountain preventing them from freezing and causing even more damage. Today we start working with the insurance company and other businesses to get the ruined stuff out and find and install a new pump and motor."

Folks at Hermon Mountain say they have had to halt their snowmaking efforts while they wait for the equipment to be replaced. While they don't yet have an official timeline on how long that will take, or in what way the fire's destruction will affect the opening date for this season, they are hopeful the repairs will go quickly.

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"The pump and motor have been removed from what remains of the building. A crew will start rebuilding it tomorrow and the pump is headed to southern Maine to hopefully be rebuilt. Hopefully a timeline update tomorrow on getting it back and a new motor and drive."

In the meantime, fans of Hermon Mountain have been posting on their social media accounts words of support and offers of help.

One person wrote: "Please let us know if there's a way your community can help. You are so important to our family!!"

Another wrote "If you guys need a crane in any capacity please reach out. We have your backs and are so sorry for this loss."

And a third wrote "Let us know if you need volunteers for anything!
We appreciate you!"

Typically, Hermon Mountain opens for skiing in late December and tubing in February. They usually end their run in the middle of March.