Replica of fort to be rebuilt

WARRENTON, Ore. -- The replica of the fort where the Lewis and Clark expedition spent the winter of 1805-06 will be rebuilt following a fire, but it's unclear whether it will be completed in time for a Lewis and Clark Bicentennial commemoration slated for mid-November.

The cause of the fire that destroyed the compound has not been determined, but investigators from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives say there are no conclusive signs of arson.

Firefighters were delayed some 15 minutes in getting to the scene because an emergency dispatcher dismissed the first 911 call to report the fire, according to The Daily Astorian. According to the newspaper's account of a recording of the call, the dispatcher told the first caller what she was seeing wasn't a fire but the play of light in the rain and fog.

Meanwhile, donations, condolences and offers to help rebuild Fort Clatsop have been pouring in.

Just hours after news of the fire first broke, people were coming up to park employees to hand them checks to help fund the fort's reconstruction. Others sent messages such as: "I am a reasonable craftsman and can make almost anything I set my mind to in metal, wood or stone."

The expedition built the compound in three weeks. The replica that burned took 18 months to build. Park officials say the timeframe for rebuilding is somewhere in between.