Popular pub is closed for repairs after Saturday night fire.
Sara Brown

Newes Pub Hit With Second Fire in Three Days

<p>The Newes from America was closed after a Saturday night fire drew an all-out response from firefighters. It was the second in three days, but Edgartown fire chief Peter Shemeth said the fires are unrelated.

The Newes from America pub in downtown Edgartown has been closed after a Saturday night fire inside a kitchen wall drew an all-out response from volunteer firefighters.

It was the second fire in three days at the popular pub, although Edgartown fire chief Peter Shemeth said the fires are unrelated. Firefighters had been called to the Newes on Thursday morning for a dryer fire which they promptly put out.

Chief Shemeth said the second call came at about 6:30 Saturday after pub employees saw smoke, determined that it was not related to food preparation, pulled the fire alarm and evacuated the building.

He said it took some time to get to the source of the fire because it was inside one of the kitchen walls. Firefighters used a thermal imaging camera to find the source and then took apart the wall where the fire was located. With smoke inside and outside the building, the chief said the fire had been smoldering for quite awhile.

Oak Bluffs responded with pumper trucks and Tisbury firefighters responded as well, Chief Shemeth said. West Tisbury firefighters covered the Edgartown station during the response.

The pub is located in an 18th-century building, one of the oldest in the downtown area, which Chief Shemeth said is a cause for concern. Confined spaces in the building and the crowded downtown area are also troublesome for fire personnel, he said.

The chief said the fire response took about an hour, plus clean-up afterward.

The cause of fire is under investigation, although the chief said the incident was completely unrelated to the Thursday morning dryer fire in the basement. “Not related at all, but very unusual to have two fires in three days,” he said. “Bad luck. I don’t know.”

He said the wall cut apart by firefighters to extinguish the fire will have to be rebuilt. “They have quite a bit of work to do,” he said.

The Newes had reopened Friday evening for dinner after the Thursday morning fire.

In an email Sunday, Elizabeth Rothwell, a spokesman for the Newes, praised the response. “We are grateful for the rapid response of fire and police authorities. We look forward to reopening as soon as possible. We would like to thank our customers and staff for their continued support,” she said.

Comments

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 01/30/2017 - 06:32

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deshandra brown mv

Thanks to the EFD and first responders a tragedy was averted. I can only imagine the outcome if the employees were not in the building and the fire had gone unnoticed. This brings to mind a few 'what ifs', specifically related to the downtown area, with stores closed for the season, and some property owners who are notorious for neglecting their real estate. Most of the buildings in town were built long before the current fire code, that would require firewall (fire-proof) walls between abutting buildings. Just imagine, a fire starting in one of the unoccupied stores, with the 100 year old dry wood on a windy day. By the time it was 'noticed' and reported, the fire would be out of control and we could lose the whole downtown. I am not a fan of 'big government', but I think its a consideration to require real estate in town, that abuts another building, to have a few things installed: Sprinkler system (which would be a problem if the building is winterized without heat ...so at least a 'standpipe' that allowed firefighters to connect from outside. Operational working smoke/fire alarms that are monitored by a central station. The commercial building owners pay the same tax rate as residential dwellings, despite the ability to generate very large rent revenue streams. The town could offer a tax abatement to encourage the installation of these systems. All it takes is a mouse or a rat to eat through the plastic covered romex electrical cable and you have a fire in the wall. The results of a fire would be devasting to the abutting property owners, and the town itself. Being 'pro-active' now, instead of 'reactive' after a fire might be good thinking. Just think about who owns a lot of buildings in town and how they maintain their properties.. I hope I never have to say 'I told you so' after the fact

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 01/30/2017 - 19:41

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Interested Observer Cape Cod

Deshandra, always enjoy your comments on a wide-variety of topics. They always show clear, logical and concise thinking.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 02/04/2017 - 08:04

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Fred Thornbrugh Vineyard Haven

1989 Kelly House had a fire in the basement with a dryer, I remember because I found it and called the fire department!

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