Block Island, a petite gem nestled in the vast Rhode Island, buzzed with a frenzy quite alien to its small-town tranquility on Friday night as a massive fire wreaked havoc on its historic hotel. Harborside Inn, a legacy in itself in the nation’s smallest state’s smallest town, was the epicenter of the fiery disaster, resulting in severely compromised water and power supplies, and ushering in a state of emergency.
Emergency services from multiple jurisdictions answered the distressed call from New Shoreham, ensuring the safe evacuation of all guests from the embattled Harborside Inn. Visitors to the area were immediately cautioned to steer clear as the situation unfolded.
First responders were still there Sunday morning, as water and power were being restored to nearby businesses, according to Joon Yang, a manager at Block Island Reservations, which oversees Harborside Inn and other proximate hotels.
Sunday morning also saw the recommencement of ferry services into the island, according to an update from the Block Island Chamber of Commerce.
"Block Island has a fire department on the island, but this is the first time we’ve actually had to respond there," said South Kingstown Deputy Fire Chief Tom Bradley. It was difficult for the crew to get to this remote location indicative of the logistical nightmares the island throws at its rescuers. The island’s residential fire department was equipped to deal with such disasters, but this was the first instance where off-island help had to be solicited.
Yang couldn’t recollect a precedent for such a devastating incident on the island. “I’ve never heard of anything like this happening here before,” Yang said. “As old as these buildings are, they’ve been able to maintain them for many years. It’s devastating to find out something like this happened.”
The hotel suffered significant damage, with the roof collapsing around 1:30 a.m. Saturday. However, fire crews managed to quell the flames by late Saturday morning, as conveyed by the Block Island Chamber of Commerce.
Due to the precarious situation, the influx of morning ferries to the island was suspended on Saturday, revealed New Shoreham town manager, Maryanne Crawford.
The hotel's accompanying restaurant, Harbor Inn Grill, reportedly confirmed through a Facebook update that while their staff was unharmed, the disastrous fire means the hotel's doors will remain closed for the rest of the season.
Yang elaborated on the extent of the damage, stating, “Our building was located right in front of the water, as people got off the ferry,” Yang said. “People know where it is. So many people have stayed here. The central area of the building has caved down. The roof is basically off. There’s a lot of damage to the back of the building,” he added.
Block Island Reservations' central office, also located on the same premises, was adversely affected during the incident. The fire left their cleaning supplies and inventory in disarray, forcing the business to cancel and refund all reservations on the island until August 24.
Simultaneously, the state was grappling with the aftermath of a tornado and severe thunderstorms, resulting in "hundreds of large trees either uprooted or snapped at their bases," as the National Weather Service described.
Acknowledging the resilience of the emergency responders, Gov. Dan McKee expressed his gratitude, saying, “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.” McKee’s team is currently coordinating with the US Small Business Administration and the Rhode Island Commerce team to offer help to small businesses hit by the catastrophe.
