Chimney Fire Causes Minor Damage at White Horse Tavern

A chimney fire at The White Horse Tavern caused minor damage and closed the restaurant for lunch on Tuesday, but nobody was hurt and America’s oldest-operating tavern was ready for dinner by mid-afternoon.

Amy Mitchell of the White Horse Tavern said a small fire in the tavern fireplace sparked a chimney fire that began to rage out of control.

Coincidentally, Philip J. Rondina III of Middletown’s Colonial Chimney Sweep happened to be on the property when the fire broke out and he soon found himself playing the role of firefighter instead of his usual job as a fire preventer.

“I handed him the fire extinguisher and he put it out,” Mitchell said.

The fire burned up the flue cable, which was in the process of being replaced by Tuesday afternoon. And, Mitchell said, every chimney in the establishment was being swept today by none other than a crew from Colonial Chimney Sweep. They had just been talking about it being the time they usually got their chimneys swept.

Members of the Newport Fire Department rushed to the scene shortly after 11 a.m. from Station One -- about a block away on Marlborough Street.

Traffic was diverted around the business for a short time as fire officials investigated.

Fortunately, Mitchell said, the fire was contained to the chimney and did not spread to the structure itself.

“We saved it,” she said.