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At least one tourist dead after massive fire nearly destroys Caribbean resort, 1,690 evacuated
By Robert McGreevy
Published June 20, 2026
At least one Italian tourist is dead with several more injured after a massive fire in the Dominican Republic resort town Bayahibe on Friday.
The deceased woman, 46-year-old Italian national Francesca Valentino, died at the resort's Viva Wyndham Dominicus Beach Hotel, according to the Dominican Republic's Directorate of Out-of-Hospital Emergency Services (DAEH).
At least nine other people were treated for injuries, with three of those taken to off-site medical facilities, DAEH said in a statement.
Authorities evacuated 1,690 tourists from the popular resort town, The Associated Press reported, citing local authorities.
AT LEAST 18 DEAD, 120 INJURED IN ROOF COLLAPSE AT DOMINICAN REPUBLIC NIGHTCLUB
A drone view shows a fire at the Viva Wyndham Dominicus Beach Hotel in Bayahibe, La Altagracia, Dominican Republic, June 19, 2026 in this screen grab obtained from social media video. (Gojko Culibrk/via REUTERS)
Aerial video of the blaze showed smoke billowing from numerous beachside buildings, with large gray plumes of smoke casting dark shadows on the beach's turquoise waters.
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Authorities reported that "preliminary observations indicate that the fire spread rapidly due to the flammable nature of parts of the roof structures made of palm, as well as wind conditions," according to Reuters.
A drone view shows a fire at the Viva Wyndham Dominicus Beach Hotel in Bayahibe, La Altagracia, Dominican Republic, June 19, 2026 in this screen grab obtained from social media video. (Gojko Culibrk/via REUTERS)
Guests were moved to other hotels, such as the Viva Wyndham Dominicus Palace, a nearby hotel run by the same operators as the Viva Wyndham Dominicus Beach Hotel. The Palace did not sustain any damage, according to Reuters.
Police officers operate following a fire at a Viva Dominicus resort in Bayahibe, La Altagracia, Dominican Republic, June 19, 2026, in this still taken from a social media video. (Junito Mieses/via REUTERS)
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"Tourist activities in Bayahibe and the surrounding area remain unaffected and continue to take place safely and as normal," the Dominican Republic's Emergency Operations Center (COE) also noted.
Video of the aftermath shows a drone spraying water on a charred and destroyed block of buildings as the structures continue to smolder.
Fox News Digital contacted DAEH, COE and Wyndham Hotels and Resorts for additional comment.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
https://www.foxnews.com/world/least-one-tourist-dead-massive-fire-nearly-destroys-caribbean-resort-1690-evacuated