Nearly 200 rooms destroyed in fire at Newport hotel
NEWPORT, R.I. (WLNE) — Flames ripped through a section of a Newport hotel forcing guests to evacuate Monday night.
Fire crews from half a dozen communities were called about 8 p.m. to the Wayfinder Hotel on Admiral Kalbfus Road.
Newport Deputy Fire Chief Mark Riding said multiple floors collapsed during the fire, and a total of 197 rooms are expected to be a total loss. Three firefighters were injured, including one who fell through a floorboard.
“We could not get between the floors, once the floor collapse happens all members were pulled from the building for safety,” said Mark Riding.
After the floors collapsed, all firefighters were pulled from the building and battled the flames from outside the hotel. They were able to knock down the fire just before 10 p.m.
Newport Fire Chief Harp Donnelly said guests were able to get out of the hotel safely, but three firefighters were injured. Their conditions were not immediately known.
Guests staying in the hotel said they had no clue the building was on fire until first responders arrived.
“I heard all the fire trucks, but the alarms weren’t going off on the far side,” said Colin Lahti, a guest staying at the hotel. “I saw this side was all on fire. It looked like it started from an electrical fire. It looked like it [the fire] was out, but then, the whole thing went up in flames and that’s when the roof caved in.”
In a statement released to ABC6, the co-owner of The Wayfinder hotel Phil Hospod said,
“It’s all really just awful. We are deeply grateful for the Newport Fire Department and all the surrounding communities that responded. With the support of all the first responders and our local community members, we can confirm that all employees and guests were safely evacuated. At this time, we are solely focused on the wellbeing of our guests and employees. We appreciate the community’s support during this difficult period and can provide updates as we assess the situation and determine next steps.”
As of Tuesday afternoon, firefighters were still battling hotspots.
