Where There’s Smoke ...

Firefighters at the scene of Sunday night’s alarm at Smalley’s Inn in downtown Carmel use large exhaust fans to ventilate the 19th century landmark. Eric Gross Carmel firefighters arriving on the scene at Smalley’s Inn on Gleneida Avenue in the heart of the hamlet’s business district didn’t know what to expect.

When a report of heavy smoke in a restroom sounded a general alarm at 9:30pm on Sunday, a full complement of emergency responders under the command of Chief Mark Earle and Assistant Chief Vincent Ruggerio responded, along with the department’s tower ladder truck, rescue rig, and two engines.

Crews entered the building and discovered that an oil burner backfire had caused the smoke condition.

Chief Earle said the tavern had been partially evacuated when fire crews arrived: “We evacuated the remainder of the customers and took a deep breath, since we were extremely thankful that a piece of Carmel history was not in danger of being destroyed.”

The Smalley Inn dates back to 1852 and is located within close proximity of the Carmel Restaurant on one side and a three-story apartment and office complex on the other.

In March of 2007, a Connecticut man, William Haughey, of Sherman, attempted to burn down the restaurant-tavern by igniting toilet paper in the ceiling of the inn’s restroom. The blaze was quickly extinguished, but Haughey was found guilty or arson and is now serving 10 years in state prison.

Chief Earle also recalled the inferno that enveloped the downtown business district in the late 1960s: “We lost the entire block back then, which was not a pretty sight. Thank goodness tonight’s problem was only an oil burner.”

Also assisting at the scene were members of the Putnam County Sheriff’s Department and Carmel Police, along with a representative of the Putnam Bureau of Emergency Services.

No injuries were reported. Fire crews returned to quarters an hour later, when those watching the Boston Celtics beat the L.A. Lakers in the NBA Championships were allowed to return to view the game.