NANTUCKET, MASS. (WHDH) - A new state-issued report has determined the cause of a massive fire at a historic Nantucket hotel to be a cigarette discarded by an employee.
Investigators said that employee tossed a cigarette that sparked the inferno at the Veranda House earlier this summer. Several people received minor injuries in the blaze.
As 7NEWS previously reported, a joint investigation by the Nantucket Fire Department, Nantucket Police Department and State Police Fire & Explosion Investigation Unit determined that the fire began on the hotel’s front porch, where the hotel stored its trash.
“This fire was first reported at about 6:45 Saturday morning, when many guests were likely still asleep,” said Nantucket Fire Chief Stephen Murphy. “It began beneath the front porch, where smoke alarms inside couldn’t immediately detect it. We’re extremely fortunate that everyone made it out safely, and I want to recognize the heroic efforts of community members whose immediate action under dangerous conditions helped to save lives.”
Officials said parts of the three-story, 18-room hotel collapsed due to the fire, which crews battled for over 12 hours.
The Veranda House said in a statement that all of their guests and staff got out of the building safely, though four firefighters were injured. All of them have since been released.
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