A fire tore through a historic hotel early Saturday on Block Island, prompting officials on the summer vacation spot off the coast of Rhode Island to declare a state of emergency and urge the public to stay away.
The fire at the Harborside Inn broke out overnight, around midnight. Around 50 firefighters from around the state were flown and shipped in to help fight the flames on Water Street and at least four ladder trucks were also brought in, the Block Island Chamber of Commerce said in Facebook post.
“Block Island is in an active State of Emergency and is asking visitors not to travel there today," the post read. "There is limited water and no power in town.”
Gov. Dan McKee said the Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency is in contact with emergency response officials on Block Island, and they're continuing to monitor the situation closely.
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"We're grateful for all the first responders who are working [to] get the situation under control and keep everyone safe," McKee wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
The emergency advisory alert was issued after everyone was evacuated from the 36-room Harborside Inn, including a wedding party staying there for the weekend, NBC10 Boston affiliate WJAR reported.
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"This is going to be a great wedding story," Chris Lynch, the father of the bride, said. "Everything that we brought, we most likely probably lost but I mean, it all can be replaced."
The historic hotel has been welcoming visitors to Block Island for over a century “with its Victorian seaport charm," according to its website. It's listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Block Island Reservations said all reservations in all their properties made for any dates between Aug. 18 - Aug. 24 will be canceled and fully refunded. They sincerely apologized for the inconvenience.
The governor said they're also working with the state's Small Business Administration office to support businesses impacted by the blaze. McKee said he also asked Rhode Island Commerce to visit the businesses this week to see what additional assistance may be needed, thanking everyone for a swift response and continued collaboration.
The roof of the inn caved in around 1:30 a.m. No serious injuries were reported.
It took crews more than six hours to put out the fire, which was contained to one building. Firefighters continued to search for hotspots Saturday morning.
The Block Island Ferry said in a post on its website that its ferries transported emergency vehicles to the island throughout the night to assist with the major fire.
"Block Island has a fire department on the island, but this is the first time we've actually had to respond there," South Kingstown Deputy Fire Chief Tom Bradley said. "It took about an hour for crews and a half hour by the Coast Guard boat."
The governor thanked first responders for keeping Rhode Islanders safe Friday into Saturday, writing, "From responding to an unprecedented tornado yesterday to helping contain a dangerous fire on Block Island, we are incredibly grateful for the tireless work of emergency responders across the state over the last 48 hours."
Fire officials believe the flames started in the hotel's kitchen around 11:30 p.m. The state fire marshal's office is continuing to investigate.
The island's ferry line also had to adjust its schedules Saturday. The Pt. Judith High speed ferry was resuming service around 1:20 p.m. Saturday, Newport high speed ferry departures were canceled, and traditional ferries were running a revised ferry schedule.
Here is the revised ferry schedule for Saturday, Aug. 19:
Departing Pt. Judith:
- 8 a.m. scheduled ferry will now depart at 10 a.m.
- 9:30 a.m. scheduled ferry will now depart at 11 a.m.
- 10:30 a.m. scheduled ferry will now depart at 12 p.m.
- 12 p.m. scheduled ferry will now depart at 2 p.m.
- 1:30 p.m. scheduled ferry will now depart at 3 p.m.
- 4:15 p.m. scheduled ferry will now depart at 4 p.m.
- 5:30 p.m. scheduled ferry will now depart at 6 p.m.
- 6:45 p.m. scheduled ferry will now depart at 7 p.m.
- 8 p.m. scheduled ferry will now depart at 8 p.m.
Departing Block Island:
- 8:15 a.m. scheduled ferry will depart at 10 a.m.
- 10 a.m. scheduled ferry will depart at 12 p.m.
- 11:30 a.m. scheduled ferry will depart at 1 p.m.
- 12:45 p.m. scheduled ferry will depart at 2 p.m.
- 3 p.m. scheduled ferry will depart at 4 p.m.
- 5 p.m. scheduled ferry will depart at 5 p.m.
- 6:15 p.m. scheduled ferry will depart at 6 p.m.
- 7:30 p.m. scheduled ferry will depart at 7:30 p.m.
- 8:30 p.m. scheduled ferry will depart at 8:30 p.m.
From New London to Block Island:
Direct trips between Orient Point and Block Island are cancelled for the day, while these new connections are being added
- 4:15PM Orient Point to Block Island via New London.
- 4:55PM Block Island to Orient Point via New London.
- 6:30PM Block Island to Orient Point via New London.
If you have bought online ferry tickets for Saturday and would like to cancel, email info@blockislandferry.com with your confirmation number for a refund. Click here for more information.
Block Island is located about 12 miles off the Rhode Island coast. It has one town, New Shoreham.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
