A massive fire tore through a 17th-century boutique hotel on the Massachusetts island of Nantucket on Saturday, causing “enormous” damage to the luxury getaway.
Local firefighters rushed to the 18-room Veranda House Hotel around 6:45 a.m. to evacuate guests and battle the blaze, officials said.
An off-duty fire captain and several bystanders rushed into the building without safety gear to help rescue hikers, according to a news release from the Nantucket Fire Department.
“The captain was directed by a guest to a room possibly occupied but found it empty but found two others in the hallway whom he helped secure,” the release said.
“He tried to search further but was put off by the intense heat and smoke. The actions of the citizens and the captain saved lives.
Hours later, first responders on Nantucket were joined by firefighters from nearby Cape Cod communities who brought additional firefighting equipment on high-speed ferries to help put out the flames, officials said.
Dramatic footage of the fire showed the luxury bed and breakfast fully engulfed in bright orange flames as billows of black smoke rose from the building. Several neighboring buildings in the waterfront neighborhood also caught fire, according to first responders.
A large fire tore through the Veranda House Hotel in Nantucket on Saturday. Photo released by the Yarmouth, Massachusetts Fire Department
“Damage to the affected structures is extensive, with several of the buildings completely destroyed,” fire officials said.
Two firefighters were treated for heat exhaustion and another for back pain, officials said. No civilians were injured.
The Veranda House dates back to 1684, according to The Boston Globe. It was renovated in 2020. Rooms at the historic hotel rent for as little as $799 a night, according to its website.
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