A fire broke out at the historic Old Port waterfront in Portland, Maine, on Friday evening, damaging old buildings and several boats along the Custom House Wharf, authorities said.
A fire broke out on the historic Old Port waterfront in Portland, Maine, the day after Christmas, damaging old buildings and several boats.
Authorities said flames and smoke easily spread through buildings along Custom House Wharf, the center of Portland’s fishing industry in the 19th and 20th centuries that now houses seafood restaurants. The cause of the fire is still under investigation. One firefighter suffered minor injuries.
The Portland Fire Department posted an “incident notice” on Facebook just before 6pm on Friday warning residents to be careful and avoid the area. News reports said first responders deployed a fire boat to spray water from the harbor to help put out the flames due to problems caused by frozen fire hydrants. Several boats were damaged and at least one sank along the pier.
“Mainers are truly the best people,” Porthole Restaurant posted on Facebook on Friday thanking the community for its prayers.
“We are safe. We want everyone to know that all of our employees, fishermen and owners are safe,” Porthole posted.