CAPE MAY — A fire broke out at the newly renovated Beach Shack Motel at Beach and Patterson avenues Friday, July 24, about 1:15 a.m.
The fire started in a laundry room in the rear of the motel, according to Chief Jerome Inderwies, Jr. “There was fire showing on the first floor when we arrived with smoke showing on the second”, said Inderwies.
The hotel was formerly the Coachman Motor Inn. The hotel is owned by an investor group headed by Curtis Bashaw.
Firefighters and police officers went door to door to evacuate the hotel.
The fire did not spread to any occupied areas of the hotel Inderwies said however one wing did experience smoke conditions.
Jill Perkins of Shelton, Ct. was staying at the hotel with her family when she was awakened by a firefighter knocking on her door. “The firefighters were very calm, they said we need to evacuate right away, there was no panic—it was done very professionally, she said.”
Perkins said she was shocked the fire alarms never went off and that firefighters were the ones to alert her and her family. Perkins and her family have been visiting the seaside resort for over twenty years. They were taken to the boardwalk with other guests that were standing in their pajamas and robes. A female police officer was walking around passing out blankets. Perkins said “everyone was very accommodating”.
The fire was out by 2:15 a.m. and some guests were allowed to return to rooms in the second wing of the hotel.
Additional Guests were waiting in the adjacent Rusty Nail Restaurant at 2:30 a.m., the owner of the hotel was called to relocate them, according to reports.
Fire departments responded from West Cape May, Town Bank, Cape May Point and Coast Guard station Cape May to assist Cape May City. The Lower Township Rescue Squad also responded with fire police.
No injuries were reported, according to Inderwies.
The fire is under investigation by the Cape May County Fire Marshal.
Staff reporter Harry B. Scheeler, Jr. contributed to this report.
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