Passerby, first to call 911, describes how White Mills Hotel blaze progressed

Donna Tyler, of Honesdale, was shocked to see what was transpiring as she headed to work on Route 6 through her old hometown of White Mills in the wee hours of Wednesday, April 3. The old hotel was on fire. She was the first one to call 911.

As she was driving east down Main Street toward Hawley and passing the fire hall, she said she drove through thick smoke coming from the hotel.

"I then saw the fire as I rounded the turn on Route 6. I actually stopped on Route 6 in front of the hotel to dial 911. As it was connecting to 911, I pulled over in Dorflinger's with my truck facing Elizabeth Street and the side of the hotel," she recounted.

She said the hotel was burning in the back, left side (toward Honesdale).

"While on the phone, [in] a total of approximately 30 seconds I saw the orange appear in the front of the building and told 911 that the fire had just broken through the front already," she said.

"Nothing else was on fire at that point. It progressed very quickly. I was shocked to see it come out through the front that quickly," she recalled.

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She made the call at 2:50 a.m. The dispatcher indicated they had no other calls about this and was alerting the fire companies.

Tyler stated that she saw no people in the area and no other vehicles stopped, although one car passed by after she called 911, moving into the opposite lane to avoid the flames.

"It burned so quickly," she said. "I cannot believe it's gone. It's a big loss I feel. Many memories for many people. I'd seen the piece on the news Monday evening about it and now it's gone. I grew up in White Mills."

Tyler said she left at 3 a.m. to get out of the way as she knew fire trucks were coming.

All that was left with the break of dawn was charred timbers, some twisted metal, bricks from the chimney, a steam radiator visible in the heap of ruin, and not much else.

Many Facebook posts have been made mourning the loss of the White Mills Hotel. There are laments about the loss to local history, for what might have been with the expected renovations, and to the community with so many personal memories tied up there. Several people have posted about the restaurant that once served legendary food, spaghetti and cheeseburgers being singled out; playing pool there, or just the comfort of a timeless landmark one might have passed every day, not expecting it to go anywhere. Not so suddenly.

The hotel was unoccupied at the time of the fire. Lake Region Development, Inc., led by Justin Genzlinger, CEO of Settlers Hospitality, had intended to turn the building into apartments for Settlers Hospitality employees. He received conditional use approval from Texas Township only two evenings before, on Monday.

A few White Mills residents, sworn in as parties to the hearing, posed questions about who would be living there. Genzlinger stated that they would only be residents, legal to work, and gainfully employed. Nine apartments, with a maximum occupancy of 16 people, were planned, primarily to provide affordable rents for Settlers Hospitality employees. He said if there was a vacancy, any legal, working person could have stayed there.

Thanking the volunteer firefighters for their efforts and grateful no one was hurt, Genzlinger also stated hours after the fire, "Historic preservation is a core value of Settlers Hospitality, so we’re very disheartened by the loss of a building with such a rich history and a landmark in White Mills. It’s especially hard since we received approval for the restoration just days ago. It’s a setback, but only a setback. We’re committed to creating employee housing and providing places for people to live amid the housing crisis."

In a Wednesday press release, Trooper Jason Mills, Pennsylvania State Police Troop R Fire Marshal Unit, stated, "The cause and origin could not be determined [due] to the amount of damage. The cause of the fire is still under investigation."

Anyone having memories to share about the White Mills Hotel, or observations of the fire, is invited to contact the writer for follow-up stories.

Peter Becker has worked at the Tri-County Independent or its predecessor publications since 1994. Reach him at pbecker@tricountyindependent.com or 570-253-3055 ext. 1588.

This article originally appeared on Tri-County Independent: White Mills Hotel fire: First 911 caller describes blaze