WHITE POINT, N.S. - Crews were still snuffing out stubborn hot spots Sunday at a popular resort on Nova Scotia's south coast that was burned to the ground by a massive fire a day earlier.
Firefighters were dousing outbreaks at the White Point Beach Resort, an historic inn that was a social cornerstone and cultural hub for the small communities that dot the province's south coast.
RCMP Staff Sgt. Jeff Wells said he hoped officials would be able to get in sometime Sunday to try to determine the cause once the flames were extinguished.
But, he said the sprawling wooden structure that was built in 1928 and housed the kitchen, conference centre, pool and some of the guest rooms was gone.
"The main building is lost," he said. "The fire is, for the most part, beat down...They're fighting hot spots, but it's nothing major as compared to what it was last night with mountains of flames."
He said it's not yet clear what caused the fire, but early indications are that it started in the basement of the 83-year-old seaside hotel.
There were no injuries, with staff and guests -- including several kids' hockey teams and a wedding party -- getting out safely after the fire was detected in the early afternoon.
Wells says the main building, which had a conference centre, guest rooms, a restaurant and pool, was lost in the flames that were kicked up quickly by high winds in the wooden structure.
Fire officials say they were called to the blaze at about 2:30 p.m. Saturday and found the lobby filled with smoke. High winds fed the flames that quickly engulfed the building.
Darlene Norman, a councillor for the region of Queens municipality, said she could see the flames and billowing black smoke from several kilometres away as she headed to the resort Saturday.
She said the hotel, with its trademark log cabins that stretch along a wide sand beach, was key to the area economy and the community as a vacation and music spot.
"It's the cultural heart of this community," she said from her home in nearby Liverpool. "It's a devastating blow emotionally to the staff ... Everyone's pretty shocked and shaken."
The resort was built as a private hunting and fishing lodge, starting with a few cabins, an eight-room main lodge and a dining room.
Over the years, the hotel expanded with tennis courts and a golf course. The resort was to undergo renovations early next year. It was home to over 100 employees.
