Nearly two months after a fire destroyed the Sebago Lake State Park headquarters, officials are busy drafting plans to replace the building by mid-summer.

Last weekend, park staff moved from their temporary work location in a Maine Warden Service facility at the park into an office trailer located just across the road from a snow-covered cement foundation – all that remains of the 54-year-old former headquarters building following an early morning fire on Dec. 10.

According to Sgt. Joel Davis of the State Fire Marshal’s Office, the fire may have been caused by old electrical wiring and heating tape in a corner of the building, and was put out by members of seven regional fire departments. No one was injured in the fire, which reduced about half the building to ashes, and destroyed nearly everything inside, save for a couple computers and filing cabinets. The rest of the structure has since been demolished and removed.

The 1,400-acre Sebago Lake State Park opened in 1938 as one of five original Maine state parks. In 2014, the park hosted more than 90,000 campers and nearly 120,000 visitors for day use. Despite the fire, officials are working to ensure that this year’s season proceeds smoothly.

According to Matt McGuire, park manager, four winter staffers are working hard to keep the park open for day use and prepare for camping season, which begins in May. Registration opened on Monday.

“We’re going to keep everything moving right along so it doesn’t disrupt our service to folks,” McGuire said.

Meanwhile, the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry is drafting plans with Casco Code Enforcement Officer Donald Murphy to replace the building in coming months. According to Skip Varney, director of engineering and real property for the department’s Bureau of Parks and Lands, bids for construction services will be solicited as soon as the late spring.

The plan, Varney said, is to build a 4,500-square-foot, 13-room structure on the foundation of the destroyed headquarters, located in a resource protection zone near the Songo River. Construction of the building, which was covered through the bureau’s insurance program, will cost between $300,000 and $350,000, said Varney, who is leading the rebuilding effort.

The new building will feature a “hydronic radiant floor heating system,” an energy-efficient system that will heat the building by warming the mass of the floor.

“We want to be able to utilize solar, geothermal or a combination of solar and geothermal with a backup of propane for the heating system,” Varney said.

Whereas the destroyed structure featured board-and-batten siding, an old-fashioned vertical pattern using cedar boards, the new building will have fiber cement siding.

“It’s actually going to be looking a lot more modern,” Varney said. “I think it’s just going to be a much more energy-efficient, better-looking building.”

The new building will otherwise emulate the original L-shaped structure, which was open year-round until the fire, and was the base of operations for the 25 employees that staff the park in the summertime.

Although the fire has been an inconvenience, McGuire said, it could have been much worse.

“It’s certainly unfortunate,” he said. “The important thing really, though, is nobody was hurt. I really can’t emphasize that enough. The firefighters did a great job. Folks like the warden service have been really helpful to us.”

“It’s definitely been a change, but we’re continuing with our normal operations,” McGuire added. “We encourage everyone to come out and enjoy the park.”

Sebago Lake State Park Manager Matt McGuire, as well as park staff, moved last weekend from their temporary work location in a Maine Warden Service facility into a portable office trailer located just across the road from the former park headquarters, which burned in an early morning fire Dec. 10. A new building is in the works.Staff photo by Ezra SilkSebago Lake State Park Manager Matt McGuire points to a snow-covered, cement foundation – all that remains of the 54-year-old building following an early morning fire on Dec. 10.Staff photo by Ezra Silk