A three-alarm fire damaged multiple commercial buildings and vessels along Custom House Wharf in Portland, Maine, on Friday, Dec. 26, prompting a large-scale response from city firefighters, neighboring departments, and the city’s fireboat.
The Portland Fire Department was alerted to the fire at 5:33 p.m. after a crew aboard a Casco Bay Lines ferry reported seeing smoke and flames coming from the waterfront. Fire officials said the exact origin of the blaze was not immediately known.
First-arriving crews encountered heavy smoke and fire involving multiple structures and struck an all-hands assignment within minutes. At arrival, one building involved was a one-story commercial structure, and a second was a two-story commercial building, according to the fire department.
A second alarm was struck at 5:41 p.m., followed by a third alarm at 5:43 p.m., bringing in additional firefighters, mutual aid from surrounding communities, and callback personnel to cover other emergencies in the city.
Firefighters faced difficult conditions due to intense fire behavior, closely spaced buildings, limited access on the wharf, and a partial structural collapse. Crews were eventually forced to shift to defensive operations. Fire suppression efforts included all Portland fire companies, the department’s fireboat and mutual aid from Westbrook and South Portland at the scene. Additional departments assisted with citywide coverage.
The fire was considered under control around 7:22 p.m. Custom House Wharf and an adjacent section of Commercial Street were closed during initial operations but later reopened. Officials urged the public to use caution in the area as crews remained on scene addressing hotspots and icy conditions created by firefighting operations.
Two firefighters sustained minor injuries that did not require hospital transport. No civilian injuries were reported.
Several vessels moored at the wharf were damaged by the fire and firefighting activity, and one boat sank, officials said.
The cause and origin of the fire remain under investigation in coordination with the Maine State Fire Marshal’s Office.
