JENSEN BEACH, Fla. — WPTV learned more about a fire at Hutchinson Shore Resort & Spa in Jensen Beach that evacuated dozens of guests from their rooms early Monday morning.
WATCH: ‘Pretty frustrated with the hotel,’ says Jason Paupore
Family evacuated during fire at Jensen Beach resort expresses frustration with experience
Martin County Fire Rescue said they believe the fire here started from an electrical short in a fridge in one of the rooms.
No one was injured.
But Treasure Coast reporter Tyler Hatfield heard from one family who had to cut their vacation short, and said they have concerns about the lack of communication during this ordeal.
“This was not what we had experienced before,” said Jason Paupore, who was staying at the resort with his family.
Paupore said he was there when the fire broke out in an unoccupied room on the fourth floor of the north tower. He and his family were on staying on the second floor.
“We wanted a few just relaxed days at the beach, laying by the pool, maybe having a fruity cocktail, and we were a day into it,” said Paupore. “And that’s not what happened.”
Paupore’s daughter, Scarlett, said they experienced false alarms at hotels before, but she knew it was serious when they smelled the smoke.
“I just locked in, I reacted immediately,” said Paupore. “I grabbed my stuff, and I just knew we needed to get out of there as soon as possible.”
In the parking lot, Paupore said they were met with dozens of other guests.
“You had people who must have made a mad dash, who were in their underwear and nothing else,” said Paupore.
Paupore said guests in the north tower were then asked to head inside the resort ballroom.
“The expectation was somebody from the hotel was going to come into the ballroom and make an announcement as to what was going to happen next,” said Paupore. “Nobody from the hotel ever came into the ballroom. People were just sitting there wondering what was happening.”
Eventually, Paupore said they were allowed back in to retrieve their belongings.
“There was water dripping from the lights on the ceiling,” said Paupore. “There was about 2.5 inches of standing water on the floor in our hotel room.”
Martin County Fire Rescue said some guests were able to stay in rooms inside the south tower of the resort and make other accommodations at nearby hotels.
Paupore decided they would just make the three-hour trip back to their house in Naples. But he said he still wants answers from the resort about room charges and personal property damage.
“We were told yesterday that somebody was going to be contacting us yesterday, and as of yet, nobody has reached back out to us,” said Paupore. “I’m pretty frustrated with the hotel, and it certainly could have been handled a lot better.”
Hatfield went to the resort on Tuesday to get answers for Paupore, where staff directed him to their corporate staff.
We are still working to get a response.