***  WATCH ***  OFFICIALS INVESTIGATING EARLY MORNING FIRE AT DAN’L WEBSTER INN

SANDWICH, MASSACHUSETTS – [HN VIDEO NOTES] –  According to Deputy Chief Sean Butler of the Sandwich FD, this morning’s two-alarm fire at the Dan’l Webster Inn is being investigated by members of the State Fire Marshal’s Office. According to Deputy Butler, at around 12:55 a.m., crews rushed to the historic inn and spa located at 149 Main Street after a worker noticed flames captured by one of their video cameras. The visible flames were on the outside of the kitchen area, to the rear of the main building. The worker activated manual fire alarm pull stations and began banging on doors to awake and evacuate guests. A couple visiting from Norwood told HN they were celebrating their wedding anniversary after nearly 50 years together. They were awakened by someone banging on the door to their room but initially ignored it, thinking it was passerby playing a prank. Moments later, someone returned and began banging again. They finally opened the door and smelled smoke.   All the commotion was for real.  They both were able to laugh in unison, telling each other, “HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!” When HN arrived on scene, the bulk of the fire had already been knocked down. There was a smoke condition, both inside and outside the building. People were coughing. According to sources, at least one person was evaluated for smoke inhalation. Firefighters then began chasing hot spots, needing to cut into the roof above the kitchen. Mutual aid firefighters responded from nearby towns. A rehab canteen truck also responded. At the time of this report, officials were hopeful all guests would be able to return to their rooms, after the smoke clears. Most of the fire damage was on the outside of the kitchen area, but there was some extension into the roof line. The kitchen area is expected to closed down for quite some time, according to Deputy Butler. There were approximately 48 people inside the building at the time of the fire, according to Deputy Butler. As of 4:30 a.m., members of the State Fire Marshal’s Office were still on scene investigating. The following HN Video contains a brief interview with Deputy Chief Sean Butler of the Sandwich FD, along with additional highlights from the scene… [HN VIDEO – PRESS PLAY]