Deauville Still Dark After Electrical Fire

MIAMI BEACH, FL — The iconic Deauville Hotel on Miami Beach appeared dark and empty following an electrical fire earlier this week that forced the evacuation of about 150 to 200 guests and caused the oceanfront resort to shut down for what could be weeks, according to fire officials. Meanwhile, the city confirmed that the one-time haunt of Hollywood's elite had multiple outstanding fire code violations at the time of the blaze. A hotel representative refused to answer any questions on Wednesday afternoon and told Patch to leave the premises.

The early morning fire on Tuesday was contained in a mechanical room on the first floor which houses the main power coming into the building. The room cannot be accessed directly from the hotel to prevent fires from spreading to guest areas but the fire knocked out power to the building as well as to retail establishments located on hotel property. (Sign up for our free Daily Newsletters and Breaking News Alerts for the Miami Beach Patch.)

According to Miami Beach fire inspection records obtained by Patch, the hotel was cited days before the fire on July 19 for its installation of a portable chiller.

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The city issued a "stop work order/notice of violation issued" regarding the installation of the portable chiller and "associated equipment without first obtaining electrical permits." City documents also indicated that the hotel was told to stop using the device prior to the fire.

Hotel manager Melissa Merulo was quoted by Local 10 News about a chiller immediately after the fire though it was not clear if she was referring to the same chiller that was the subject of the Miami Beach citation. "That chiller was connected to the generator and a cable busted, and it caused big smoke in the alley," Merulo was quoted as saying.

City officials also told Patch on Wednesday that the Deauville must submit a "signed and sealed" engineer report by an electrical engineer, obtain any necessary permits for repairs and undergo an inspection by the city prior to reconnecting power to the building.

Captain George Linares of the Miami Beach Fire Department told Patch that the fire was extinguished by the hotel's sprinkler system but not before causing damage to the electrical system. "It burned up all the cables there," he said on Tuesday.

The Deauville was designed in 1957 and named “Hotel of the Year” upon opening, according to hotel officials. The property became a favorite Miami Beach haunt for Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland, Louis Armstrong and Tonny Bennet.

"The most epic Deauville’s performance was broadcasted on the Ed Sullivan Show, when the Beatles performed for the first time in America from the Napoleon Ballroom on February 16th, 1964," according to the Deauville’s website.

Photo by Paul Scicchitano