Crews respond to fire at home of late Oscar-winner Anthony Quinn

By Brittany Comak

Email: bcomak@abc6.com

Twitter: @BComakABC6

BRISTOL, R.I. (WLNE) – Officials are investigating a fire on the Bristol waterfront at the home of the late Academy Award-winning actor Anthony Quinn.

Bristol Fire Chief Michael DeMello said the call came in around 1:30 p.m. Wednesday for smoke coming from the house of the two-time Oscar winner. 

“Found we had some type of fire going in the walls,” said DeMello.

Four departments responded, and with no nearby hydrants available, firefighters were forced to suck water straight from the bay.

Fire officials said crews had the fire under control in less than an hour.

DeMello said it was Quinn’s widow, Katherine Quinn, who came home and saw smoke. She then alerted the Fire Department.

Quinn lives in the building – one of the many barns on the former Quinn estate that she’s moved into in the years since her husband’s death in 2001.

Officials said most of the home remained untouched by the fire, with firefighters working to ensure the fire did not spread more than it already had, protecting Quinn’s vast collection of sculptures and artwork. 

“The homeowner had come home, luckily, and that’s who notified us that she had come home and found smoke in the building,” said DeMello.

Officials said it’s not clear how the fire started, but the cause is under investigation by the State Fire Marshal.

©WLNE-TV / ABC6 2019