Local firefighters responded to the 18-room Veranda House Hotel around 6:45 a.m. to remove visitors and put out the fire, officials said. An off-duty fire captain and several bystanders ran into the building without safety gear to help rescue the tourists, according to a news release from the Nantucket Fire Department. “The captain was directed by a visitor to a room that probably had an occupant but found it empty, but found two others in the corridor whom he helped to safety,” the statement said. “He tried to search further but was driven away by the intense heat and smoke. The actions of the citizens and the Captain saved lives.” Several hours later, Nantucket first responders were joined by firefighters from neighboring Cape Cod communities, who brought additional firefighting equipment in speedboats to help extinguish the blaze, officials said. Dramatic footage from the blaze showed the luxury B&B completely engulfed in bright orange flames as billowing black smoke billowed from the building. Several neighboring buildings in the beach community also caught fire, according to first responders. A large fire tore through Nantucket’s Veranda House Hotel on Saturday. Photo posted by Yarmouth Fire Department, MA “Damage to the structures involved is extensive with several of the buildings a total loss,” fire officials said. Two firefighters were treated for heat exhaustion and another for back pain, officials said. No civilians were injured. The Veranda House dates to 1684, according to The Boston Globe. It was renovated in 2020. Rooms at the historic hotel rent for up to $799 a night, according to its website.
