FALLSBURG — A major fire severely damaged the iconic Pines Hotel, a landmark from the Borscht Belt era, early Tuesday afternoon October 29. The Fallsburg Fire Department received reports of a structure fire on the 96-acre, long-abandoned property at 4:06 p.m. and promptly responded to the scene. 

According to the Fallsburg Fire Department, upon arrival, firefighters observed heavy smoke and quickly called a second alarm, drawing support from additional fire departments across Sullivan, Orange and Ulster counties. 

According to the Fallsburg Fire Department’s report, the fire’s intensity led to the use of an excavator to help control the flames as they spread across multiple buildings on the site.

The Pines Hotel, which closed in 1998 after years of financial challenges, once stood as a hallmark of mid-20th-century entertainment, attracting stars like Buddy Hackett, Robert Goulet and Tony Bennett. It boasted a theater, nightclub, poker rooms and both indoor and outdoor pools, drawing visitors from far and wide.

By late Tuesday, firefighting crews were still working to fully extinguish the blaze, which had inflicted serious damage on several structures across the complex. The Fallsburg Fire Department has yet to announce the cause of the fire.

“We appreciate the swift response and assistance from neighboring fire departments,” the department said in a statement.

As of presstime, the fire has rekindled again.