Maine fire damages historic Portland waterfront and several boats
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- A fire swept through Portland’s historic Old Port waterfront Friday, damaging aging buildings and several boats in the 19th-century fishing district.
- Firefighters deployed a water boat from the harbor to battle flames after frozen fire hydrants hampered response efforts.
A fire tore through the historic Old Port waterfront in Portland, Maine, the day after Christmas, damaging aging buildings and several boats.
Flames and smoke spread easily through structures along the Custom House Wharf, a 19th- and 20th-century hub for Portland’s fishing industry that now includes seafood restaurants, authorities said. The cause of the fire is under investigation. One firefighter sustained minor injuries.
The Portland Fire Department posted an “incident notification” on Facebook just before 6 p.m. Friday warning residents to use caution and avoid the area. First responders deployed a fire boat to spray water from the harbor to help douse the flames, as frozen fire hydrants hindered the initial response, according to news reports. Several boats were damaged, and at least one sank along the wharf.
The Porthole Restaurant posted on Facebook on Friday thanking the community for its prayers: “Mainers are truly the best kind of people,” it read.
“WE ARE SAFE. We want everyone to know that all of our staff, fishermen, and owners are safe,” the Porthole posted.
Willingham writes for the Associated Press.
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