A fire broke out at the Castle Hill Inn on Ocean Drive on Thursday night, prompting a multi-alarm response that drew mutual aid from neighboring departments as firefighters battled the blaze in bitter cold.
Firefighters encountered heavy fire in the attic of the building, with flames shooting from the roof, according to scanner traffic monitored by RIBNS. Crews also dealt with a blowout on a water supply line, the account reported.
Providence and Portsmouth both sent units to assist Newport, with Portsmouth dispatching Engine 1, Tower Ladder 1, and Car 2 for the structure fire, the department said at 10:18 p.m.
Temperatures in Newport hovered around 17 degrees with a wind chill of 8 degrees as crews worked to extinguish the fire, according to the National Weather Service.
All guests and staff were safely evacuated, and no injuries were reported.
“Earlier tonight a fire broke out at Castle Hill Inn. All guests and staff were evacuated safely. We are incredibly thankful to first responders who are on property actively working to put the fire out,” Mick Lamond, president and CEO of the Newport Restaurant Group, said in a statement posted to social media late Thursday.
NBC 10 was first to report the fire, with reporter John Perik reporting from the scene. Smoke from the blaze could be seen from the Newport Pell Bridge, according to the station.
Thomas Shelvin, a spokesperson for the city, confirmed that Newport firefighters responded to the hotel but could not provide further details, WPRI reported.
The cause of the fire was not immediately known. It was unclear as of early Friday how much damage the property sustained.
Castle Hill Inn, a Relais & Châteaux property set on 40 acres along Ocean Drive, is one of Newport’s most iconic destinations and part of the 100% employee-owned Newport Restaurant Group. The group operates 17 dining establishments across Rhode Island and Massachusetts.
The inn traces its origins to 1874, when marine biologist Alexander Agassiz of Harvard University commissioned the shingle-style mansion as a summer home. It became the first Rhode Island property to join the Relais & Châteaux family in 2008.
The inn, which reopened Jan. 30 following its annual winter hiatus, is home to Aurelia, a Forbes-recognized fine dining restaurant, and The Lawn Terrace.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.