New London ferry service resumes after Block Island hotel fire; visitors still urged to stay away
Aug. 19—NEW LONDON — Express ferry services from the city waterfront to Block Island resumed late Saturday morning after a massive fire at an historic hotel led to a state of emergency for the popular Rhode Island summer destination.
The Block Island Express canceled its 8:30 a.m. and 10 a.m. trips, but resumed its regular service as of 11:50 a.m., company spokesman Stan Mickus said.
Approximately 50 firefighters from across the state spent hours battling a blaze at the Harborside Inn. The fire, reported at around midnight, led to the collapse of the Water Street hotel's roof and there was limited water and no power in town, according to the Block Island Chamber of Commerce.
The fire remains under investigation and there were no reported injuries. Officials urged visitors not to travel to the island on Saturday.
Mickus said the express ferry typically makes five round-trip excursions to the island. He said the canceled Saturday morning trips were "booked solid," and the company is working to reimburse or re-book voyages for ticket-holders.
Emergency vehicles were carried to island via the traditional Block Island Ferry crafts from the company's main terminal at Point Judith in Narragansett, R.I. Mickus said express ferries were not used as part of that operation.
