Newport Fire Department and mutual from several towns are on the scene of a four-alarm structure fire at 151 Kalbfus Road, The Wayfinder Hotel.
The call came in at approximately 8:05 pm, according to Newport Fire Department Chief Harp Donnelly.
Early on, Incident Command reported a heavy fire between floors.
Around approximately 9 pm, Incident Command ordered firefighters out of the building due to a collapse/compromise on the second floor.
Ladder crews were conducting roof ventilation and crews were reportedly ordered to take a defensive approach.
At approximately 9:08 pm, Incident Command was reporting a “section of roof collapsing.”
2022-05-23 21:08 EDT | RI | NEWPORT |**3RD ALARM**| 151 ADMIRAL KALBFUS RD | CMD ADV HVY FIRE IN A 4 STY HOTEL PARTIAL COLLAPSE IN BLDG. COS GOING DEFENSIVE | NEFA43 | NEFA17
— NorthEast Fire Alert’s (@N_EastFireAlert) May 24, 2022
Map (https://t.co/FtgsUiXyoj )
At 9:12 pm, a fourth alarm was struck for the fire, calling for four more engine companies and two additional ladder companies.
As of 9:38 pm, Incident Command was ordering three additional tanker trucks to the scene, two are responding from Jamestown and one from Middletown.
At approximately 9:50 pm it was reported by the command that heavy fire is throughout the hotel, and crews are conducting defensive operations only.
2022-05-23 21:46 EDT | RI | NEWPORT |**4TH ALARM**| 151 ADMIRAL KALFBUS RD | HEAVY FIRE THROUGHOUT THE WAYFINDER HOTEL, DEFENSIVE OPS ONLY,EXTENSIVE MUTUAL AID TO THE SCENE, INC TANKERS | NEFA2 | NEFA43
— NorthEast Fire Alert’s (@N_EastFireAlert) May 24, 2022
Map (https://t.co/FtgsUiXyoj )
As of 9:55 pm, the City of Warwick had three engines and a rescue covering the City of Newport for any other emergency calls.
North Kingstown, South Kingstown, Naval Station Newport, East Greenwich, and Narragansett are among the fire department’s on-scene assisting Newport with the fire.
In an update to reporters, Chief Donnelly said the hotel was evacuated immediately, and that there were no casualties, and there were no injuries.
Donnelly said there was no indication of what caused the fire at this time and firefighters on the scene were working to try to keep the fire contained to the right side of the building at this time.
At 11:06 pm, Incident Command reported that floor three was compromised and that fire was heavy on floors 2 and 3.
At this time, the cause of the fire is unknown. No injuries have been reported. What’sUpNewp has reached out to authorities for comment.
The Wayfinder, a 115,000-square-foot hotel and conference center, includes 195 guest rooms, a lobby, fitness center, an outdoor pool, pool shack, a full-service restaurant, cafe, and new meeting and event spaces.
Dovetail + Co., a hotel ownership and development company led by Phil Hospod, purchased the hotel for $14.34 million in 2019 from Atlantic Beach Hospitality Group.
This story is developing and will be updated as we learn more.
Incident Updates on Twitter
RI | NEWPORT | 3RD ALARM | 151 ADMIRAL KALBFUS RD | FIRE REPORTEDLY IN A HOTEL , REQST FOR ADDL 3/2 TO THE SCENE, MULTIPLE M/A RESPONDING DWH cc27
— Automated Paging For: @RIBNS (@AlertsRIBNS) May 24, 2022
Newport: *3rd Alarm* 151 Admiral Kalbfus Rd. Fire in a hotel. Request for 3 additional Engines and 2 additional ladders
— Chris Palmer🇺🇸 (@CJPFirePhotos) May 24, 2022
3rd alarm of fire Newport RI, 151 Admiral Kalbfus Rd, The Wayfinder Hotel , fire between floors
— Metro Fire (@MaFireEMS) May 24, 2022
3RD ALARM NEWPORT RI 151 ADMIRAL KALBFUS RD WAYFINDER INN. FIRE IN A 4 STY HOTEL. CO’S ORDERED OUT, RPTD COLLAPSE ON FLOOR 2. MEMBER FROM E5 RPTD MISSING, LOCATED OUTSIDE. ALL CO’S HAVE PAR. DWH.
— MAFD14ALERTS🇺🇲 (@MAFD14Alerts) May 24, 2022
RI | NEWPORT |**4TH ALARM**| 151 ADMIRAL KALBFUS RD | U/D CMND UPGARDING TO 4TH ALM. ORDERING ALL FF’S NOT TO ENTER UPON 2ND FLR. ALL CO’S CONT TO WORK. @GREATERBOSTONRADIO | UEA04 @USEmergAlerts
— Fire News Alerts l Online (@PeterNewcomb41) May 24, 2022
#BREAKING Fire crews @ Wayfinder Hotel in Newport. You can see the smoke/flames coming from the hotel in upper left corner of this picture, captured by the RIDOT camera on Rt 138. Massive response by multiple communities.
— Shannon Hegy (@ShannonHegy) May 24, 2022
Live report coming up at 10 on Fox Providence @wpri12 pic.twitter.com/pCy5EEstki
Major fire in Newport
— Shiina LoSciuto (@ShiinaHL) May 24, 2022
Right across from the old casino. Looks like this is the Wayfinder Motel @wpri12 pic.twitter.com/80IzW1H3k5
#BREAKING: Massive fire still raging at the Wayfinder Hotel in Newport.
— Daniel Coates (@danielcoates_6) May 24, 2022
Dozens of guests look on from the street.@ABC6 crews just arrived on scene. Smoke visible from the Jamestown Bridge, while the fire was visible from the Newport Bridge. pic.twitter.com/kHdPxnTYRY
Command requesting 3 Tankers to the scene. 2 from Jamestown and 1 from Middletown
— Chris Palmer🇺🇸 (@CJPFirePhotos) May 24, 2022
Crews battling flames at the Wayfinder Hotel In Newport. @NBC10 pic.twitter.com/WouvOx8Axd
— Cal Dymowski WJAR (@CalDymowski) May 24, 2022
2022-05-23 21:46 EDT | RI | NEWPORT |**4TH ALARM**| 151 ADMIRAL KALFBUS RD | HEAVY FIRE THROUGHOUT THE WAYFINDER HOTEL, DEFENSIVE OPS ONLY,EXTENSIVE MUTUAL AID TO THE SCENE, INC TANKERS | NEFA2 | NEFA43
— NorthEast Fire Alert’s (@N_EastFireAlert) May 24, 2022
Map (https://t.co/FtgsUiXyoj )
2022-05-23 21:46 EDT | RI | NEWPORT |**4TH ALARM**| 151 ADMIRAL KALFBUS RD | HEAVY FIRE THROUGHOUT THE WAYFINDER HOTEL, DEFENSIVE OPS ONLY,EXTENSIVE MUTUAL AID TO THE SCENE, INC TANKERS | NEFA2 | NEFA43
— NorthEast Fire Alert’s (@N_EastFireAlert) May 24, 2022
Map (https://t.co/FtgsUiXyoj )
The fire is burning in the Wayfinder Hotel on Admiral Kalbfus Road.https://t.co/Lso7FyYN1b https://t.co/OIVFGqsbMg
— NBC 10 WJAR (@NBC10) May 24, 2022
A viewer just sent me this of the flames bursting out of The Wayfinder hotel. (Didn’t wanna give his name)
— Cal Dymowski WJAR (@CalDymowski) May 24, 2022
Numerous crews still on scene. Water guns continue to to blast.
Many people are just in awe of what’s happened. @NBC10 pic.twitter.com/XdTCsie8HQ
More content from us on The Wayfinder Hotel
March 21, 2021 – Owner of Wayfinder Hotel in Newport acquires hotel in Hawaii, will open as Wayfinder Waikiki
June 3, 2020 – The Wayfinder Hotel, Nomi Park open
Jan. 10, 2020 – Haynes Group tapped to transform The Mainstay Hotel & Conference Center into The Wayfinder
Jan. 30, 2019 – Mainstay Hotel sells for $14.34 million (UPDATED)