Excerpts from providencejournal.com: Just before 11:30 p.m. on August 18, a fire broke out at the Harborside Inn in New Shoreham, Block Island, Rhode Island. The flames spread quickly, hidden from view, and an alarm was triggered shortly after. Block Island Fire Chief Chris Hobe was still awake, just 2.5 miles away, when the box alarm went off at 11:23 p.m. A witness had reported seeing smoke on Water Street. Within four minutes, Hobe arrived on the scene. Smoke was already coming out of an exhaust fan on the first floor, and soon it began spilling from the roof. At 11:52 p.m., he called for a second alarm, marking the first time ever on Block Island that mutual aid was requested. If the fire had jumped to the other historic wood-frame buildings along Water Street, it could have devastated Block Island’s downtown area. This exact scenario had been on Hobe’s mind all winter as he worked with mainland fire chiefs and local stakeholders to create the island’s first mutual aid plan. The Harborside Inn, once known as the Pequot House and later the Royal Hotel, was built in 1879. These 19th-century buildings, while charming, were also highly flammable. They used balloon framing, a construction method common in the 1800s where wooden studs ran the full height of the building without fire breaks between floors. That meant a fire could easily move from the basement to the attic, which is exactly what happened when firefighters arrived. Once everyone was safely evacuated, crews focused on preventing the fire from spreading to nearby structures, some of which were only feet apart and already warm to the touch. Adding to the challenge was the limited water supply—Block Island had only 300,000 gallons stored, far less than mainland towns. And with the nearest help 13 miles offshore, time was critical. The Block Island Volunteer Fire Department has around 20 active members. Twelve responded initially, but more showed up, bringing the number to over 30. Junior members, as young as 14, helped out. Two even used an infrared drone to spot hot spots. When visibility dropped due to heavy smoke, firefighters used radios to guide water streams. As news of the fire spread, vacationing firefighters from Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New York rushed to help. Onlookers moved propane tanks and dragged hoses to Old Harbor, preparing to draw seawater if needed. Water officials worried about exhausting the island’s supply and creating a secondary crisis. At 12:23 a.m., Chris Myers, the Block Island Ferry’s port captain, got a call about the fire and rushed to help. By midnight, mutual aid was in motion. A call went out to New England Airlines, and two planes carrying firefighters arrived within 12 minutes. Coast Guard vessels and fireboats from Newport, Narragansett, and North Kingstown also made their way toward the island. By 1:30 a.m., fire trucks were loaded onto the ferry, which set sail for Block Island. It took until 2:30 a.m. to arrive. Two ladder trucks from North Kingstown and South Kingstown were the first to land. More boats followed, delivering additional crews, equipment, and an incident command post by dawn. Throughout the night, dozens of firefighters arrived from 15 different departments. The 75 guests evacuated from the Harborside Inn had to leave behind most of their belongings. Some stayed at the National Hotel, where staff provided blankets and pillows. Others were taken to the Block Island School, which became an emergency shelter. Water officials monitored the municipal supply closely. Using too much fresh water would trigger a boil-water advisory and cause major disruptions during peak season. At 3 a.m., they switched to seawater, knowing it could damage equipment, but it was the only option to avoid a larger crisis. Firefighters used approximately 3 million gallons of water to put out the fire. It took two days for the system to recover, but no one ran out. By noon on Saturday, the fire was mostly under control. Though the Harborside Inn was a total loss, no one was injured, and the fire did not spread to neighboring buildings. In the months following the fire, a coalition of departments from southern Rhode Island and Connecticut met regularly to improve response plans. They tested response times, practiced loading equipment onto ferries, and planned for future emergencies. A new ladder truck is expected in January, and Hobe is working to raise $10 million to build a larger fire station with seven bays and a better pump station in Old Harbor. CMI500 hole copper tester,Hitachi Cmi500 ETP Probe,PTH Hole Probe Welltronics Technology Limited , https://www.welltronics.cn