Fire at New Hampshire seaside hotel spreads to neighboring buildings, but no injuries reported

NH hotel fire spreads to nearby buildings

HAMPTON, N.H. — A fire that started in an oceanfront hotel spread to nearby buildings and could be seen from miles away, firefighters and a witness said.

The blaze started early Friday at the three-story Surf Hotel in Hampton, a densely populated community along the Atlantic coast an hour’s drive north of Boston, fire Capt. David Lang said. Several nearby buildings caught fire, he said.

There were no immediate reports of injuries.

Paul Sullivan, a retired police officer who lives in the center of town about 3 miles from the hotel, said he could see the fire from his front window.

“I saw a growing glow, getting brighter and brighter by the moment,” Sullivan said by telephone.

Hampton is home to Hampton Beach State Park, a popular summer destination. The Surf Hotel is on Ocean Boulevard, which is lined with hotels, condos, restaurants and arcades. The strip is central to the region’s bustling summer economy and is a major draw for beach visitors but usually is quiet in the winter.

Most all the buildings along Ocean Boulevard are old and very close together, like Philadelphia rowhouses, with no firestops in between.

Most of the businesses in the area, including the Surf Hotel, are seasonal, and it’s unlikely anybody would have been in there at this time of year, Sullivan said.