Man Who Lost Resort In Valley Fire Ready To Help Rebuild With Lumber Business

LAKE COUNTY (CBS13) — One of the thousands who lost everything in the Valley Fire has found a creative way to rebuild, forming the Lake County Lumber Company.

Out of the ashes of his own burned-down business comes Dan Nelson's story of resurrection. He's now starting a lumber company on the charred land with no experience. His mission is to mill burned trees from the fire and use that lumber to rebuild the county.

The Valley Fire ripped through Lake County swiftly nearly three months ago, devastating Middletown and other parts of the county.

"What I did was I hired and surrounded myself with a lot of people who for years have been in this business," he said.

Lake County Supervisor Rob Brown expects Nelson's plan to replace his burned-down resort to go before the board.

"I hope he has a good team, that knows exactly what they're getting into because if it was that easy, the timber industry, everybody would be in it," he said.

Nelson says investors are funding the business. He's buying heavy equipment and hiring 30 employees. He's set Dec. 20 as the start date for his mill.