A major fire tore through a 17th-century boutique hotel on Massachusetts’ Nantucket Island on Saturday, causing “extensive” damage to the posh getaway.
Local firefighters rushed to the 18-room Veranda House Hotel around 6:45 a.m. to evacuate guests and fight the blaze, officials said.
According to a press release from the Nantucket Fire Department, an off-duty fire captain and several bystanders rushed into the building without safety equipment to help rescue tourists.
“The captain was led by a guest into a room that may have had an occupant, but found it empty, but found two others in the hallway whom he helped safe,” the release said.
“He tried to search further, but was driven back by the intense heat and smoke. The actions of the civilians and the captain saved lives.”
Several hours later, Nantucket first responders were joined by firefighters from nearby Cape Cod communities, who brought additional firefighting equipment onto high-speed ferries to extinguish the flames, officials said.
Dramatic footage of the fire shows the luxury bed and breakfast engulfed in bright orange flames as plumes of black smoke billowed from the building. Several neighboring buildings in the coastal community also caught fire, according to first responders.
“The damage to the structures involved is extensive and several buildings have been completely lost,” said firefighters.
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. According to the website, rooms at the historic hotel were rented for a whopping $799 per night.
