Fire Damages Cherry Grove Hotel

Fire Island's famous Cherry Grove Hotel, home to the Ice Palace nightclub, was severely damaged in a fire last night.

The blaze broke out inside a housekeeping shed along the north side of the two story Grove Hotel around 2 a.m. Firefighters from Cherry Grove, the Fire Island Pines, Point O’ Woods, Ocean Bay Park, Ocean Beach, Saltaire and Sayville responded to the scene. The four people inside the hotel evacuated safely, but Ocean Beach firefighter Ian Levine said the thick smoke made it difficult to find the fire’s source. "The smoke ran through the entire building," he said. Grove Hotel manager Ramón Peña-Sierra further described the scene. "The north end of the hotel is completely burned down," he said.

The hotel was scheduled to close for the season next week. Owners vow to rebuild in time for summer 2010.

(Via - Edge Boston)