Fire Geezer The Digital Dayroom
BOONSBORO, MARYLAND, IN THE FAR WESTERN CORNER OF THE STATE, is the scene of a rapidly-spreading downtown fire.
The blaze broke out around 7:30 AM and early reports say that it began in the former Boone Hotel on Main St. and has spread into several nearby buildings.
[photopress:boone_b_herald_mail.jpg,full,centered] Hagerstown Herald Mail / Norman Taylor
The response quickly upgraded to four alarms. Thirty-seven units, from Washington and Frederick counties in Maryland, Jefferson County, W.Va., and Loudoun County, Va., are on the scene according to the dispatcher’s office.
The current weather conditions are temp. in the upper-20’s and a light, freezing rain falling.
Update, 9:00 am:
The Washington County Sheriff is reporting that the 2-story hotel building is completely destroyed. The 200+ yr.-old building had a common roof with other occupancies, but it appears that the FD has contained it to about 4 or 5 businesses.
The hotel was owned by famed novelist Nora Roberts and was being renovated to an Inn.
[photopress:boone_c_whag_norman_bassett.jpg,full,centered]
The Boone Hotel, suspected point-of-origin
(WHAG / Norman Bassett photo)
Update, 10:00 am:
TV station WHAG in Hagerstown has two reporters on the scene and one of them is telling that the Town Hall workers are busily preparing the historical papers and valuable records for removal in case the fire continues to spread.
The hotel where the fire began is on the town square. Boonsboro (Pop. 3,200) is over 200 yrs. old, founded in 1792 and located on the old National Road. Most of the buildings involved in the fire date back to the town’s earliest days and have historical value.
[photopress:boone_d_whag_mike_hoffman.jpg,full,centered] WHAG / Mike Hoffman photo
More stories:
Hagerstown TV station WHAG has story and a link to an early VIDEO.
The Hagerstown Herald-Mail.
Boonsboro Fire Department WEBSITE.
Boonsboro Wikipedia ENTRY.
Town of Boonsboro HISTORY.
[photopress:boone_e_fredNewsPost_ed_waters.jpg,full,centered]
Nora Roberts and her husband Bruce Wilder
pose in the rear courtyard of the old hotel
shortly after purchasing it last year.
(Frederick News-Post / Ed Waters photo)
WTOPnews article of May 2, 2007, describing Robert’s plans for the hotel renovation HERE.
Update, 11:40 am:
Fire department officials have told that the fire has been considered under control since 9:15 am. It has affected seven buildings, but the town library and Town Hall were not involved.
They believe that everyone is accounted for and there were no reported injuries. Three families have been displaced and the Washington County Red Cross is providing assistance for them. The FD expects to be on the scene for 12 hours.
[photopress:boone_f_whag.jpg,full,centered] WHAG / Steve Myers photo
Final Update, 2:45 pm:
The fire is out and most of the fire crews have racked their hose lines. Fire investigators have determined that the fire started on the first floor of the hotel and that a construction crew was working inside at the time that the fire started.
An early loss-value has been made at $1.5 million. However, if the old hotel’s walls are beyond saving, then the historical value is unmeasurable. It was built over 200 years ago and served patrons on the first public road connecting the east coast with the interior of the new country.
Note: As mentioned above, the property is owned by novelist Nora Roberts. This is the second fire in 13 months her family has endured on this same city block.
Dave Statter of WUSA Ch. 9 has been covering the family angle and his team has been talking with Miss Roberts about the fire. Be sure to check STATter911 HERE to learn that story within the story. He also has the link to Channel 9’s good video report.
Welcome, Nora Roberts fans. She has announced that her scheduled book-signing tomorrow (Sat.) at the Turn The Page bookstore right across the street will be held from 1 – 3 pm.
Nora Roberts has left the following note on her message board:
Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers. I’m told–several times–no one’s been hurt. Always number one. I think it’s a miracle given the intensity of the fire no one was.
We’re devastated, of course, for ourselves, for the town, for everyone involved. It’s just horrific. I feel mostly sick and dazed.
We need to get our feet under us again, but the architect and structural engineer are heading out to assess what’s left–which is, I’m told, pretty much just the stone. Once we know, we’ll figure out what to do next.
What we will do, one way or the other, is fix it.
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[photopress:boone_g_whag.jpg,full,centered] WHAG
