The Washington Fire Department, Fayette County EMS and the Washington Police Department were among the first responders to a fire at the Blue Stone Inn, Saturday evening, Nov. 11, 2023.
Chris Hoppes | Record-Herald photos
A Washington Police Department officer, at right, watches members of the Washington Fire Department enter a room at the Blue Stone Inn after a reported fire Saturday, Nov. 11, 2023.
Washington Fire Department members inspect the ceiling of a room at the Blue Stone Inn Saturday evening, Nov. 11, 2023. Residents of the inn were evacuated.
WASHINGTON COURT HOUSE — The Ohio State Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating a Saturday evening fire that occurred at the Blue Stone Inn.
At around 5:18 p.m. Saturday, the Washington C.H. Fire Department responded to a report of a working structure fire at the hotel, located at 1809 Columbus Ave., according to reports. At the time of the dispatch, firefighters were returning to the fire station from being cancelled en route to a fire alarm at the same address. At that time, hotel staff reportedly told dispatch that the alarm was a false alarm.
While responding to the second dispatch, firefighters could see heavy black smoke in the area of the hotel and requested a mutual aid engine with manpower from the Bloomingburg Fire Department, according to reports. Once they arrived, they found black smoke and fire coming from the door and window of Room 223.
Everyone inside the building — Building #2 at the hotel — were evacuated with assistance from the Washington C.H. Police Department. Firefighters were able to extinguish the fire at around 6:20 p.m.
The fire damage was limited to Room 223, however smoke damage was present in several rooms, particularly the two rooms adjacent to Room 223 and the room directly behind Room 223, according to reports.
No injuries were reported and the cause of the fire remains undetermined. The State Fire Marshal’s Office was contacted regarding the investigation of the fire and the inspection of the facility.
The Washington Fire Department was unable to isolate the electric to the affected area of the building and determined that the electric to the entire Building #2 would remain shut off until inspections and repairs were made, reports said. The Red Cross was contacted to assist the displaced occupants of the building.
The Bloomingburg Fire Department assisted on the scene and the Wayne Township Fire Department provided station coverage.
