FALLSBURG — The historic Pines Hotel, which once hosted stars such as Buddy Hackett, Robert Goulet, and Tony Bennet during the Borscht Belt era, was consumed by fire over the weekend, which destroyed multiple buildings and drew a response from 25 fire agencies. 

The fire at the Pines Hotel started at 11:58 PM on Saturday, June 17, according to John Hauschild, the Sullivan County Fire Coordinator; upon the arrival of the Fallsburg Fire Department, the entire structure was engulfed in flames.

As the situation unfolded, a total of 22 fire departments from Sullivan County, two fire departments from Ulster County, and one standby department from Orange County joined the firefighting efforts. 

Additionally, various emergency medical services (EMS) and law enforcement agencies, including Mobilemedic EMS, Hatzolah EMS, Woodbourne EMS, Fallsburg PD, Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office, and the New York State Police, were present at the scene. 

Hauschild said utility services such as the New York State Electric and Gas (NYSEG), the Town of Fallsburg Department of Public Works, and the Fallsburg Water Department also provided support. 

Hauschild added that he was thankful for the 911 call center as they provided needed communications between all the departments, stating, “They did an excellent job.”

According to Fallsburg’s Fire Department’s Facebook page, the fire was “contained to piles of rubble” after six hours of battling the blaze.

However, according to Hauschild, another fire broke out on Monday night in the buildings surrounding the Pines Hotel. 

Fallsburg Town Supervisor, Katherine Rappaport, acknowledged the fire during Monday’s Town Board meeting on June 19, saying it was a great coordinated effort in battling the blaze over the weekend. 

As reported by Hauschild, the fire resulted in the complete destruction of three buildings, leaving only one partially standing. The outbuilding that caught fire had already been partially demolished prior to the incident. 

During its prime, the Pines Hotel boasted an impressive array of amenities. It featured 400 guest rooms, along with a range of recreational facilities such as an ice skating rink, indoor and outdoor pools, a theater, a nightclub, poker rooms, and much more. The entire resort spanned a vast expanse of 96 acres but closed in 1998 for financial reasons. 

Like many hotels from the Borscht Belt era, the Pines Hotel was unfortunately abandoned and neglected over time. 

According to Hauschild, the Pines Hotel was unoccupied at the time of the fire, and only one minor injury was reported, affecting a firefighter. 

Hauschild said the fire is under investigation.