Carp Lake Township and Ontonagon fire departments assist with putting out a fire Friday evening at the Whitetail Cabin in the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park. (Photo courtesy of Ontonagon Volunteer Fire Department)

CARP LAKE TOWNSHIP — The popular Whitetail Cabin at Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park is considered a total loss after a fire Friday.

Local volunteer fire departments arrived Friday evening shortly after the fire was discovered. No one was injured in the blaze, an official for the park said.

Park Manager Michael Knack said the Whitetail Cabin was incredibly popular and was originally built by park staff.

“This cabin has been open since 1991 to year-round rentals, rented almost every single night of the year,” he said. “Just a great location, an easy one-mile walk right on (the) Superior shoreline.”

According to Knack, the fire was believed to have started Friday morning when an occupant mistakenly brought previously burnt wood into the cabin, thinking it was cold. The wood was placed onto the cabin’s indoor wood pile and subsequently ignited the rest of the wood fuel.

Knack said there will be some impact to lodging at the park due to the loss of Whitetail but he is optimistic park-goers will embrace other options the park has to offer — including more than 25 rental cabins and five campgrounds. An email was sent out to incoming reservation holders by park staff, explaining the destruction of the cabin and issuing refunds.

As for the future of the cabin, Knack said he’s hopeful it can be replaced.

“Hopefully we can get that (debris) removed in the very near future, and then I’ll start talks about rebuilding,” he said.