A significant fire erupted in a historic hotel located in the smallest town of the nation’s tiniest state on Friday night. This incident resulted in restricted water and a power outage, prompting the declaration of a state of emergency on Block Island in Rhode Island.
Numerous response agencies reacted to the fire at the Harborside Inn hotel in New Shoreham. Fortunately, all guests were evacuated safely, and authorities advised individuals to stay away from the vicinity.
As of Sunday morning, first responders remained on-site, working to restore water and power to neighboring businesses. Joon Yang, a manager at Block Island Reservations, which oversees Harborside Inn and other nearby hotels, informed CNN about the ongoing restoration efforts.
Ferry service to the island was also reinstated by Sunday morning, as reported by the Block Island Chamber of Commerce.
New Shoreham holds the distinction of being Rhode Island’s smallest town, and the logistical challenges of accessing the island seemed to have hindered the initial response to the fire. Crews had to be ferried to the island to provide necessary resources to combat the fire.
According to South Kingstown Deputy Fire Chief Tom Bradley, this marked the first time the island’s fire department had to respond to such an incident. The extended response time was due to the crews’ approximately one-hour journey and an additional half-hour by Coast Guard boat.
The Block Island Chamber of Commerce revealed that the hotel’s roof collapsed around 1:30 a.m. on Saturday, and the fire was ultimately extinguished late Saturday morning.
The Chamber of Commerce used Facebook to announce the State of Emergency, citing the town’s limited water and lack of power.
The severity of the fire led to the declaration of a state of emergency.
Morning ferry services to the island were also disrupted on Saturday morning, as confirmed by New Shoreham’s town manager, Maryanne Crawford.
Following the tragic incident at Harborside Inn, a statement was posted on Facebook by Harbor Inn Grill, which is located within the inn itself. The post assured that all occupants were safe, although the inn wouldn’t be able to reopen for the remainder of the season due to the damage sustained.
Due to the fire, Block Island Reservations’ central office, situated at the fire site, experienced damage to its cleaning supplies and inventory. Consequently, the business had to cancel and refund reservations for all of its properties on the island until August 24, according to Yang.
In addition to dealing with a tornado and severe thunderstorms that caused extensive damage, the state now had to allocate resources to manage the fire. The National Weather Service reported that the tornado and storms uprooted or snapped hundreds of large trees.
Governor Dan McKee expressed gratitude for the tireless efforts of emergency responders in response to both the tornado and the fire. He mentioned collaborating with the US Small Business Administration and the Rhode Island Commerce team to provide assistance to the affected small businesses.
