Bar Harbor inn damaged Thursday is no stranger to fire
Smoke from a fire Thursday at the Bluenose Inn, at 90 Eden St. in Bar Harbor, could be seen for miles around and fire companies from more than a dozen area towns responded to the call.
The inn, which is owned by Lafayette Bluenose LLC, was closed for the winter and no injuries were reported.
Lafayette said it doesn’t have enough information about the fire at this point and is not commenting.
By various news accounts, a portion of the hotel was damaged, with part of the three-story structure collapsing, but it is not clear the extent of the fire right now. The cause is being investigated.
The property is assessed at $9.1 million, according to the town of Bar Harbor assessor’s report.
The 97-room inn also had a major fire in the 1990s and much of the structure was rebuilt in 1994, according to town records.
At that time it was owned by Ed and Judy Hemmingsen, who bought the inn in 1979 and sold it in 2000, Mainebiz then reported. During that time its restaurant was highly regarded and was cited as a AAA Five Diamond award recipient, one of 41 such establishments in North America.
"Such a tragedy when these things happen, and we are so grateful to the first responders who were there to support our community," Ed Hemmingsen, reached by Mainebiz on Friday morning, said by email.
From 1999 to 2003, the inn was owned by Bluenose LLC, believed to be a holding company for another hotel group with properties in Bar Harbor.
Lafayette owns 30 hotels in Maine and New Hampshire, and holdings include the Holiday Inn by the Bay in Portland, six Fireside Inns in Maine and the Senator Inn & Spa in Augusta.
Bar Harbor Realtor Kim Swan, owner of Swan Agency Real Estate and Swan Hospitality Group, said she remembered the earlier fire in the 1990s. She said the community was shocked by this recent fire.
“Everyone feels horrible, of course, but so incredibly proud and impressed with our firefighters, such amazing work,” she said. “I remember clearly watching the fire there in — I think it was — 1993 that took down the front building. Crazy to think about.”
According to the Penobscot Regional Communications Center, more than a dozen fire companies responded to the blaze.
“We are incredibly thankful for the heroic work performed by our local fire and police departments, as well as the efforts by all the firefighters from Hancock County and beyond,” Alf Anderson, executive director of the Bar Harbor Chamber of Commerce, said in a prepared statement. “Their commitment to working together as a team while under immense pressure showcases the strength of our community and how everyone comes together in a time of need. The Bluenose Inn is a beloved fixture in our community that welcomes thousands of visitors to the island every year. Our thoughts are with the Lafayette Hotels family — we are all grateful no injuries were reported.”
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