A fire broke out in the basement of the Royal early this morning. Prince Edward Fire and Rescue were still on scene as of 10 a.m.(Jason Parks/Gazette Staff)
The fire broke out in the hotel’s basement housekeeping and laundry room, in one of the hotel dryers.
At 12:20am, Prince Edward County Fire Station 1 responded to an alarm activation.
All guests and staff had evacuated the building. Paramedics transported one patient to the hospital for smoke inhalation. The patient was released early this morning.
County spokesperson Mark Kerr noted that “fire personnel quickly extinguished a fire in the basement of the hotel.”
The cause of the fire is under investigation and is not considered suspicious. Damages are estimated at $80,000.00.
“Everything worked as it should have,” says the hotel’s General Manager, Sol Korngold.
“Night staff on duty at the time knew exactly what to do. All that fire training we get, and all the drills we do, really paid off.”
The hotel had a small number of guests staying overnight in the main building; all have been moved to the hotel Annex.
Mr. Korngold explained the hotel’s sprinkler system was triggered immediately. “To my knowledge the sprinklers put the fire out,” he said.
“The fire department arrived very quickly with extinguishers, but I’m not entirely certain they had to use them. I don’t know for sure because nobody has been allowed downstairs.”
As of 9:30 this morning, Mr. Korngold and the hotel’s staff were still awaiting the “all clear” from the Office of the Fire Marshall, which is investigating the cause of the fire.
Once allowed back inside, Mr. Korngold explained, hotel staff will hit the ground running.
“As soon as the Fire Marshall gives the word, a remediation team will be on the premises to clean up the water and smoke damage in the basement.
“Our job is to get everything back open as soon as possible.”
Mr. Korngold spoke to the Gazette Monday morning from his car. He was headed back in to work after a long night on site.
“I returned from a weekend in Montreal late Sunday evening. I got to bed about 10pm. And then two hours later, I got the alarm.”
Mr. Korngold is expecting a strenuous week ahead, first cleaning up as quickly as possible in order to re-open the hotel, and then hosting a Valentine’s Day dinner — in addition to all of the Royal’s regular activities.
Hotel staff hope to have the hotel open by 5pm Tuesday 11 February.
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