The cause of a massive fire that broke out at the Red Jacket Mountain View Resort in North Conway, New Hampshire earlier this year was still unknown Friday, July 16, 2022 as the investigation into the blaze came to an end, authorities said. (North Conway Firefighters Association)

The cause of a massive fire that broke out at an iconic mountain resort in New Hampshire earlier this year was still unknown Friday as the investigation into the blaze came to an end, authorities said.

The cause of the multi-alarm fire on April 30 at the Red Jacket Mountain View Resort on White Mountain Highway in North Conway has been listed as undetermined, meaning that the cause “could not be proven to an acceptable level of certainty,” New Hampshire State Fire Marshal Sean P. Toomey announced.

As part of the months-long investigation, authorities examined the scene of the fire and followed up on interviews with guests and witnesses. There was no evidence that led investigators to believe criminal activity was involved in the blaze, Toomey noted.

The fire destroyed large parts of the resort and left areas charred from the outside, NBC Boston reported. The blaze tore through the hotel’s south wing and 75 rooms, according to The Boston Globe. Authorities did not disclose to the public the estimated cost of the damage the fire caused.

The south wing lacked a complete automatic sprinkler system, according to Toomey. However, existing hotels that are not considered high-rises are not required to have such systems. Installing these system became a requirement in 1991 for buildings in new hotels that are not high-rises, he added.

The State Fire Marshal’s Office noted there have been many inquiries about the fire protection systems in the hotel. Investigators verified the guest rooms in the resort were equipped with local, hardwired smoke alarms with back-up batteries that were designed to sound once activated, as well as a fire alarm system heat detector that would set off the building’s fire alarm system once activated.

The main hallways of the hotel were also equipped with fire alarm system smoke detectors and alarm notification devices that included horns and strobes, Toomey said.

The 911 call reporting the fire came in around 2:45 p.m. on April 30. The first crews to arrive at the hotel witnessed significant fire and smoke pouring from the third floor in the south wing, where guests were evacuating. At one point, some guests could be seen jumping from upper-level balconies to lower-level ones before safely escaping at the ground level, according to the State Fire Marshal’s Office.

In the hours that followed, strong wind gusts challenged first responders’ efforts battling the blaze. More than 28 agencies came to help the North Conway Fire Department extinguish the fire, the department said.

Two firefighters and one civilian were treated at the scene for injuries that were not life-threatening. They were taken to Memorial Hospital in North Conway as a precaution, according to authorities.

There were no reports of unaccounted-for guests, and those staying at the hotel were offered hospitality at another nearby resort, the State Fire Marshal’s Office said.

Anyone with information regarding the fire has been asked to call the State Fire Marshal’s Office at (603) 223-4289.

Note to readers: if you purchase something through one of our affiliate links we may earn a commission.

Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your California Privacy Rights (User Agreement updated 1/1/21. Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement updated 7/1/2022).

© 2022 Advance Local Media LLC. All rights reserved (About Us). The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local.

Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site.