Smoke was no longer visible outside the Wayfinder Hotel by late Tuesday morning, but the smell hung thick in the air. Water gushed out of the first floor of the building, and a team of firefighters on ladder trucks continued to douse the hotels’ rooms through shattered windows. Towards the south side of the building, where part of the roof collapsed, the hotel’s internal frame was exposed.
The Newport Fire Marshal and Rhode Island State Fire Marshal have begun investigating the fire; its cause has not yet been determined.
The blaze was first reported around 8:05 p.m. on Monday night. Within an hour, flames had engulfed a large part of the building, sending billows of smoke into the night sky.
The hotel successfully evacuated the building with no reported fatalities or injuries, including pets. However, according to the Newport Fire Department’s report released Tuesday, the “fast moving fire moved through void spaces between floors and cockloft areas, which made for difficult access [for responding firefighters].”
Fire departments from across Rhode Island came to assist in mutual aid, including Portsmouth, North Kingstown, and Warren. Three Newport firefighters sustained injuries, including one person who received stitches to his leg. The city reported “another firefighter fell through a hole in a fourth floor unit, [but] was able to be retrieved without injury.”
A spokesperson for the Wayfinder Hotel did not disclose how many guests were staying at the hotel Monday evening, but shared a statement thanking the local firefighters who responded to the scene.
“At this time, we are solely focused on the wellbeing of our guests and employees,” wrote Phil Hospod, the owner of the Wayfinder. “We appreciate the community’s support during this difficult period and can provide updates as we assess the situation and determine next steps.”
The Newport Fire Department said hot spots were expected at the scene of the blaze throughout Tuesday.
Antonia Ayres-Brown is the Newport Bureau Reporter for The Public’s Radio and a Report for America corps member. She can be reached at antonia@thepublicsradio.org
