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.
The first firefighters on scene encountered heavy smoke and fire across multiple structures, including a one-story commercial structure and a two-story commercial building, according to officials.
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, officials said. Fire suppression efforts included all Portland fire companies, the department’s fireboat, and mutual aid from Westbrook and South Portland at the scene.
The fire was brought under control by around 7:22 p.m., the fire department said.
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 blaze caused significant damage to several buildings, including storage and maintenance spaces used by multiple fishermen, lobstermen’s trap repair shops, and other businesses, according to the Office of the Maine State Fire Marshal.
The cause and origin of the fire remain under investigation.
