Fire at Gibson’s West Harbor Resort
Fire at Gibson’s West Harbor Resort
As most of our readers are aware by now, there was a major fire that broke out at Gibsons’ West Harbor Resort in the early hours of November 4th. Thankfully, the smoke alarm woke Herb Gibson who then got wife Marianna and daughter Sarah out and called 911. Fire Chief and neighbor (just two houses away) Pete Nehlsen, was on the scene in less than a minute. (On November 9, Nehlsen told the Observer that “the fire was started by the flue of the wood stove in the southeast parlor. The flue was cracked,” but it’s not known whether it was cracked before the fire or because of water on it while hot. He’s still awaiting the formal report from one of the State Fire Inspectors.)
Front East End
Dick Purinton was also on the scene that morning, and by 7:40 a.m. had his first blog post up. (If you haven’t read Dick’s Ferry Cabin News blog, you’re missing an informative, well-written and beautifully photographed site. Be sure to log on.) He has very graciously given the Observer permission to re-print his reports from his www.ferrycabinnews.blogspot.com. He describes here how volunteer firemen fought the early morning fire:
Volunteer firefighters responded quickly, using the newly acquired aerial pumper truck (purchased from neighboring Liberty Grove Fire Dept.) to knock down flames.
By 6 a.m. exterior flames appeared to have been checked, and firemen were about to attack the internal parts of the building to further extinguish burning material. All units of the Island Fire Department were on the scene, including pumper units at the Ferry Dock, where the tankers were being refilled.
Offering to assist, Liberty Grove Fire Chief Chris Hecht sent approximately eight volunteers, led by Liberty Grove Fire Captain, Lee Telfer, across the Door. They arrived at the Island dock on Jeff Weborg’s trap net boat from Gills Rock around 5:45 a.m. and joined Island firefighters at the West Harbor scene. (Note: By 7:40 a.m. they were on their way back to Gills Rock via Weborg’s trap net boat.)
By the time the 7 a.m. ferry Washington began loading for the first trip leaving the Island, water demand had slowed.
The hope is that damage will be confined to the eastern end of the structure, but that may be better determined in the next hour or two with daylight and a better assessment of damage from the interior.
This building, before it became a resort, had at one time housed men working in a West Harbor sawmill operation, prior to 1900. The property, situated on a beautiful site along the Island’s western shoreline and also on the small inlet known as West Harbor, has provided rooms, meals, and hospitality to generations of guests for decades. For over 50 of those most recent years it has been operated by members of the Gibson family.
Shortly after 9 a.m., nearly all equipment and volunteer fire fighters had been released from the scene, leaving Fire Chief Peter Nehlsen, one truck, and a few men as fire watch.
“It was the smoke alarm that saved us,” Herb said. “Without the alarms, who knows?” Herb, his wife Marianna, and one daughter, Sarah, were sleeping when the smoke alarms sounded, around 4:30 a.m., and he immediately placed the fire call. With soot on his lips and face, still very much absorbing the impact of events of the early morning, Herb expressed relief that his family was safe.
The building appears to have extensive damage, in particular the easternmost portion of the building. This section contained a dining room, game room, large living room area and a staircase leading to upstairs guest rooms. These spaces were used primarily by resort guests, although the Gibson family welcomed many Island visitors who made themselves at home for various club and private functions over the years. The building’s west end, also two stories, had been remodeled within the past ten years and was living quarters for the Gibson family. From the exterior, it appears to have been spared from direct flame, but it will undoubtedly have smoke and water damage.
How important a role did the Island Fire Department’s new ladder truck play in battling the blaze?
“The aerial pumper saved what is left of the building,” according to Fire Chief Nehlsen. “Unequivocally, without it, the rest of the building would be gone.” Heat had blown out window glass in the older section of the resort building.
And, from the accounts of several firemen I spoke with, each agreed that the timely arrival of Island men and equipment, in particular the aerial truck, were key in knocking down the fire, keeping it from spreading and consuming the entire building. Nehlsen, who was in the attic pulling down smoldering insulation when I arrived, said the entire attic the length of the building had been on fire at one point, but water directed downward from the aerial pumper stopped the advance in short order.
Nehlsen credited Liberty Grove’s firefighters who, wearing Scott air packs, spelled Island firemen when it came to working inside the structure, assisting in extinguishing remaining hot spots, in particular the overhauling, tearing down of interior walls and ceilings. “That’s the dirty work,” he said, “the real physical work.” Each LG fireman cycled twice through the structure’s interior, he noted, before heading back to the mainland.
By 9:30 a.m., Nehlsen had already contacted a State Fire Marshall to conduct a routine post-fire investigation, routine procedure for such events, he said, and expected he would arrive later today.
Inside
Sheets of OSV were already stacked on the lawn with 2 x 4s and tarps in preparation for closing in the building’s openings, once the fire is out with certainty.-D.P. [Island firemen returned around 3:00 p.m. to help with the work.]
Gibson’s West Harbor Resort is part of the heart of Washington Island… a place that has captured people’s hearts over the years with its beautiful grounds, two beaches (sand or stone), traditional summer campfires and a homey atmosphere and has become a favorite site for weddings. The warmth and hospitality of the Gibson family is very much one reason why it is dearly loved by so many. In June of 2007, over 500 people came together to celebrate Gibsons’ 60 years in business.
Built originally in 1879 by Freyberg Lumber Company as a boarding house for the lumberjacks who worked at the sawmill on the property, it was eventually bought by the Gibson family in 1947. Many updates and remodels took place between then and now.
News of the fire sent shock waves through community members’ hearts. Relief was felt by all when word was that all were safe, and most of the family’s lodging was not destroyed by the fire. The Gibsons are currently staying in a cottage next to the main building, taking one day at a time to sort through and save what they can while they await the necessary steps to begin rebuilding. Marianna Gibson hopes, if all goes according to plan, that they could be open for business by Memorial Day Weekend.
The community stands by ready to help make that happen.
Washington Island Observer with permission from Dick Purinton
