HomeMy WebLinkAbout2011 Feb - Cape Cod Times ArticleSTEVE HEASLIP/CAPE COD TIMES
The historic Red Rose Inn on Lewis Bay in West Yarmouth
goes up in flames, despite the efforts of several fire crews.
Blaze destroys
Red Rose Inn
By ROBERT GOLD
rgold@capecodonline.com
WEST YARMOUTH - A
raging fire swept through
the newly renovated Red
Rose Inn on Sunday night,
severely damaging both the
inn and its restaurant. Crews
from several area fire depart-
ments battled the heavy
flames, which started around
7 p.m. There were no injuries
despite the large-scale dam-
age, Yarmouth Fire Chief
Michael Walker said.
The building, which is
three stories high in some
parts, dates back to the
1880s, according to the Times
archives.
see FIRE, page 12
STEVE HEASLIPICAPE COD TIMES
Firefighters from several departments Sunday battle a wind -whipped blaze that destroyed the newly
renovated Red Rose Inn in West Yarmouth on New Hampshire Avenue on Lewis Bay.
Fire: Heavy winds whip flames at inn
from Al
Several hours after the rescue
crews arrived at the building,
located at 6 New Hampshire
Ave., firefighters continued to
fight active flames. When crews
arrived, several portions of the
building were already fully
engulfed, Walker said, prevent-
ing anyone from going inside.
Walker did not know if any-
one was in the building when
the fire broke out but said there
were no injuries.
An official from the state fire
marshal's office was scheduled
to arrive on the scene last night
to investigate the cause. State
Fire Marshal Stephen Coan said
late Sunday night it was "much
too early to speculate" on the
cause of the fire.
Two power lines came down
near the building and NStar
Heavy winds spread the flames
and shot off sparks but the fire
was contained in the largely
residential area off Lewis Bay
and Englewood Beach.
The Red Rose Inn building
dates back to the 1880s, when
it was the guest quarters of a
family compound, according
to the Times archives. It was
restyled as a bed -and -breakfast
in 1948.
The building was recently
renovated, according to the
June 2010 Times article, and
including a 45-seat restaurant
and 10-bedroom inn.
John Schnyer, a nearby resi-
dent watching the fire Sun-
day night, said he and his wife
were near Hyannis when they
smelled something strange.
"It smelled like coal," he said.
He assumed the fire was nearby
since the smell was strong, but
capecocionline For a photo
COm gallery from
• the fire, go to
capecodonline.com/media
their home in WestYarmouth, he
found out it was near his neigh-
borhood.
"Little did we think it was a
building here,"he said.
Sunday night's fire follows
news that police and fire offi-
cials believe there is a serial
arsonist on the Cape.
Authorities are investigating
an fire in Sandwich on Nov. 24
that had a disturbing similarity
with a Dec. 2 incident in Barn-
stable. In both cases, the arson-
ist left a calling card, the mes-
sage,"(expletive) the rich" at the
scene.
The Barnstable fire occurred
at a home onTrotters Lane, while
the Sandwich blaze occurred on