Mad River Mountain

Following a catastrophic fire in 2015 that rendered Mad River Mountain’s original main venue “The Loft” a total loss, Thomas & Marker Construction was picked to lead a $6.5 million design-build reconstruction project. Under this reconstruction project, Sands Decker was contracted to provide general site engineering and engineering design of a unique fire suppression system for the new 46,000 square foot lodge. The lodge, nearly double the size of the original building, features two levels with many amenities.

The fire suppression system for the new lodge required innovative design by Sands Decker. Typically, when a public water supply is not available for fire suppression for a large building, the owner needs to invest significant capital into the system for fire pumps, water storage, and a backup power generator. In the Mad River Mountain case, Sands Decker took advantage of the terrain to design a below-ground 33,000-gallon storage tank located near the top of the ski slope. The system allows gravity to supply 85 psi to the lodge’s fire suppression system without the need for costly fire pumps or a generator.