PROVIDENCE – The state fire marshal’s office has declared the Harborside Inn on Block Island a total loss Monday and will inspect the damage today to determine if the historic property needs to be razed following an Aug. 19 fire, WPRI-TV CBS 12 reported.
Officials told WPRI the fire likely started in the hotel’s first-floor kitchen, and fire crews on the island quickly pulled a second alarm. The second alarm prompted crews on the mainland to respond.
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About 50 firefighters from around the state were flown and shipped in to help fight the blaze at the hotel, which is located on Water Street in the Old Harbor Historic District, and at least four ladder trucks were also brought in, the Block Island Chamber of Commerce told The Associated Press.
The roof of the inn caved in around 1:30 a.m. on Aug. 19. All guests were evacuated, and no serious injuries were reported. The building also housed the Harbor Grill and the Orchid Lounge.
The building also had several street-level shops, including Wild Flowers Boutique and the Mad Hatter, a hat shop.
“I have no idea if/when it will reopen. It was truly heartbreaking to watch the fire absolutely destroy the entire building,” Wild Flowers Boutique said on its Instagram account on Sunday. “We are so grateful that no one was injured.”
North Kingstown Fire Chief Scott Ketelle told WPRI the old construction of the building helped the fire move quickly from the first floor to the inn’s attic. The mansard roof design also made it harder for water to reach the flames.
The Harborside had 36 rooms and was one of several hotels built in the late 1800s that line Water Street in the Old Harbor, some of the first sights that visitors see as they disembark from the ferry across the street. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Kettelle said the ferry was used to rush mainland fire crews to the island. Using the ferry was part of a plan established almost a year ago between the heads of mainland fire departments and New Shoreham.
The U.S. Coast Guard helped transport fire crews to Block Island, including fire engines and ladder trucks, WPRI reported
“It was a challenge,” Ketelle told WPRI. “The building is still standing. There is significant, major damage, water damage, some structural damage. All in all, the benefits that came out of this, no one got hurt, and that’s amazing with a fire of this magnitude.”
Officials told WPRI no firefighters were hurt, but some other local businesses were damaged.
The Block Island School, which is the town’s emergency shelter, was open to house hotel guests who were displaced.
Material from The Associated Press was used in this report. With PBN reports.
