Ranch busy after reopening

Diners made reservations at the Black Butte Ranch Lodge restaurant for the weekend, golfers teed up on the courses and visitors came to enjoy their holiday as Black Butte Ranch returned to normal last week.

Residents returned on Wednesday afternoon, lining up in a string of cars along Highway 20 to turn into the main gates.

The Ranch entrance was adorned with a banner welcoming residents and thanking firefighters and police services for their efforts in saving homes and evacuating the Ranch safely on Sunday, July 28.

The three day closure due to the Cache Mountain fire was an economic blow to the Ranch. How big of a blow is yet to be determined.

The Ranch has business-interruption insurance.

According to Ranch manager Loy Helmly, Ranch administrators are meeting with the insurance company and calculating actual losses from missed greens fees, dinner reservations and lodging.

Helmly said that an initial, thumbnail estimate of losses of $100,000 per day was probably high, but actual numbers will not be forthcoming for a while.

"We're just in the very preliminary stages," Helmly said.

Nancie Owens of Ponderosa Properties, LLC said that she spent much of last week handing out refunds. Ponderosa Properties, LLC manages 50 rental properties on behalf of Black Butte Ranch property owners.

Some renters had to cancel their vacations entirely; some lost a few days.

"We were in constant communications with the renters who were coming in that weekend," Owens said. "If they wanted to leave, they left, and we gave them a total refund."

Owens did not wish to divulge a dollar amount, but she said the lost rental income represented "a serious loss of income for owners."

Helmly sees good days ahead for the Ranch. He anticipates a very busy week starting August 19 when many families arrive to squeeze in a last summer break before school sports start.