NEWPORT – The cause of a two-alarm fire that tore through the historic Castle Hill Inn on Feb. 5 has been deemed accidental, according to a Monday report by WPRI-TV CBS 12.
The state fire marshal’s office said “the operation of a wood-burning fireplace” sparked the blaze, which prompted the evacuation of guests and staff, and drew a large emergency response, WPRI-TV reported.
Fire crews were called to the waterfront hotel on Ocean Drive around 9:30 p.m. on Feb. 5, where they found smoke and flames coming from the roof at the rear of the building.
A second alarm went off shortly after 10 p.m., and the fire was brought under control around midnight, according to officials.
When crews responded, they determined the area of fire origin was in the north end of the building on the third floor, Newport Fire Chief Harp Donnelly told WJAR-TV NBC 10.
No injuries were reported. The extent of the damage remains unclear, and the cause of the fire is still under investigation.
It is also unclear if any weddings or events had to be canceled due to the fire.
Mick Lamond, CEO and president of the Newport Restaurant Group, told WJAR-TV on Feb. 7 that the goal is to have the restaurant operational in the coming months.
“The rooms and suites in the main inn will take more time,” Lamond said in a statement. “But the remaining rooms and suites in the beach houses, beach cottages, harbor house, and chalet and wedding venue are unharmed and hope to be open soon.”
In September, the Castle Hill Inn was named among the
15 best hotel resorts in New England, according to Condé Nast Traveler. Castle Hill Inn also received a Key award from The MICHELIN Guide’s U.S. hotel rankings in September 2024.
(UPDATE recasts the lede, and adds information from a WPRI-TV CBS 12 report in the first two paragraphs, plus alterations throughout.)