SANDWICH – A two-alarm fire broke out at the Daniel Webster Inn at 149 Main Street in Sandwich around 1 AM Tuesday. Smoke and flames were visible when firefighters arrived. Crews worked to evacuate guests from the establishment. One person was evaluated for smoke inhalation by EMTs. Firefighters were able to quickly get the flames under control and then checked to make sure the fire hadn’t spread further in the cock loft of the colonial style lodging establishment that is over 300 years old. Mutual aid from several towns responded to the scene and to cover empty fire stations. The cause of the fire is under investigation by the State Fire Marshal’s Office.Z
Update: Sandwich Fire reports that on Tuesday at 12:54 AM, they responded to a reported building fire at the Daniel Webster Inn, 149 Main Street in Sandwich. The fire was spotted on a security camera by the front desk clerk who immediately pulled the fire alarm box for the building and called 911.
On arrival the first engine found a fire at the back of the building outside the kitchen area spreading up the side of the building. All 3 stations were in quarters and the first engine arrived in 2 minutes from teh time of teh call and made an immediate fire attack which limited damage and extension.
A second alarm was requested bring in additional units from Bourne, Joint Base Cape Cod, Plymouth, West Barnstable and Barnstable Fire Departments to the scene. All occupants of the inn were evacuated and accounted for and moved to other parts of the building once the fire was extinguished. One occupant was treated and transported for smoke inhalation to Cape Cod Hospital by the Barnstable Fire Department.
A total of 35 firefighters were on scene and the fire was under control at 1:25 AM. Extensive overhaul and cleanup was required to remove the smoke from the building. Special thanks to Providence Canteen who provided drinks and food for the units on scene, and to the Mashpee, Onset and Centerville-Osterville-Marston Mills Fire departments who provided station coverage for the Town of Sandwich during the incident.
The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Sandwich Fire Department and Massachusetts State Police assigned to the State Fire Marshal’s Office.
Tuesday afternoon, the Fire Marshal’s Office told CWN that they identified the point of origin as an exterior area near the back door, where they also located smoking materials and an extension cord. The exact cause will likely remain officially undetermined because investigators could not rule out those two unrelated accidental factors.
Photos by David Curran/Satellite News Service/CWN
