New Hampshire Hotel Damaged by Fire Had Smoke Alarms, Heat Detectors

Guest rooms at a New Hampshire hotel that was heavily damaged by fire had smoke alarms, in addition to a fire alarm system heat detector, state Fire Marshal Sean Toomey said Tuesday.

The main hallways of the Red Jacket Mountain View Resort in North Conway also were equipped with fire alarm system smoke detectors and horns and strobes, Toomey said in a news release.

The damaged wing did not have an automatic sprinkler system, but the hotel was not required to have them under current law. Automatic sprinkler systems in new hotels became a fire code requirement in 1991 for buildings that are not high-rises.

Firefighters have not said what caused the fire.

The fire happened Saturday. Three people were hurt. The investigation is expected to continue over the coming weeks.

Guests could be seen fleeing the hotel with some jumping from upper-level to lower-level balconies and then to the ground to escape the flames and smoke, officials said.

The resort is a large family retreat in New Hampshire’s White Mountains and is home to Kahuna Laguna, an indoor water park.