Block Island, a popular summer destination off the coast of Rhode Island, welcomed visitors back Sunday after a fire destroyed a historic hotel Saturday.
“Block Island is open for visitors,” the Block Island Chamber of Commerce wrote on Facebook. “The beaches are lovely, many restaurants and shops are open. Come to bike and hike.”
The organization also said that ferries were running as scheduled Sunday. Information on tickets and departure times can be found online.
The island was closed to visitors Saturday after a fire broke out at The Harborside Inn around midnight, the Block Island Times reported. The hotel, which said it has been welcoming guests for more than a century, was deemed “a total loss,” the outlet added.
Guests staying at the hotel were evacuated to the Block Island School and housed at the gym, according to the Chamber of Commerce. No injuries were reported.
A video shared on X, formerly Twitter, by WJAR, a Providence NBC affiliate, showed flames shooting from the roof of the inn located at 213 Water St., in Block Island’s main town area. The Block Island Chamber of Commerce said the island was in a state of emergency and asked visitors to avoid traveling there Saturday.
Crews worked through the night to put out the fire, but were still putting out hotspots later Saturday morning, the Block Island Times added. Roughly 50 personnel were involved in putting out the fire, the outlet said.
The Harbor Grill, located in the same building as the Harborside Inn, said they are unable to reopen until the end of the season because of the fire.
“We do apologize if we did not reach out to any reservations and we are sorry for the inconvenience,” the restaurant said on Facebook. “We are very grateful to all the firefighters, who were there all last night trying to stop the fire and did their absolutely best and also all Block Island community and volunteers helping with everything they can. Thank you all and hope we will see our beloved place rebuild soon.”
The Block Island Times shared a message on Facebook from the Chamber of Commerce saying that officials will be on the island Monday “to help process any businesses needing emergency loans.”
The goal is to help businesses relaunch as quickly as possible, the statement continued. Meanwhile, people are encouraged to make donations to the Block Island Fire Department. People can donate by clicking here.
