Following a devastating fire over the weekend, the Rhode Island State Fire Marshal's office is considering Block Island's historic Harborside Inn building to be a total loss, and continues its investigation into the fire's cause.
Investigators from the fire marshal's office were on the island finishing their probe into the fire on Monday morning, state fire marshal Tim McLaughlin told NBC10 Boston.
"The building is a total loss," McLaughlin wrote. "And when it will be torn down will be decided by the building official and Fire Chief on the Island.
The fire is believed to have sparked in the kitchen at around 11:30 p.m. Friday, according to NBC affiliate WJAR.
Photos of the fire show intense flames coming out of the inn's top floor, and in the fire's aftermath, heavy damage to the beloved beachfront resort. The roof is said to have fallen into the third floor.
There were no reported injuries in the fire, which drew a response from mutual aid crews across Rhode Island's mainland.
Visitors were welcomed back to the island on Sunday, after ferry service was limited on Saturday.
The Harborside Inn is in the heart of the Old Harbor area of New Shoreham, the town that covers the entire island. According to Block Island Reservations, the hotel has 36 rooms and has welcomed tourists for over a century.
An investigation remains underway.
