A conference building at the Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay Resort in Cambridge was destroyed in a Sunday morning fire, and the whole resort was forced to evacuate.
UPDATE: Bay Bulletin has learned that the fire started when someone tossed a cigarette into a nearby mulch bed, according to the State Fire Marshal’s Office.
The fire started just after 6 a.m., when the Rescue Fire Company Cambridge responded to the 1400-square-foot “Cambridge House” on resort property. The fire went to three alarms, triggering a response from 12 different fire crews including those from St. Michaels, Oxford, and Easton.
According to a Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay Facebook post, the building that burned was a “free-standing cottage next to the hotel used for small meetings.” No one was hurt, and the fire was limited to only the cottage and some vehicles.
In a statement, Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay General Manager Joel Bunde says, “The safety and security of our guests and colleagues is a top priority at Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay… Hotel guests and colleagues were immediately evacuated, and local authorities arrived on the scene to swiftly extinguish the fire.”
The Maryland State Fire Marshal’s Office investigation found the cause to be “accidental, careless discard of smoking materials” and the flames originated in a mulch bed outside the building. In all, the fire caused $220,000 in damage. The resort and hotel continue to be open for business.
-Meg Walburn Viviano
