PORTLAND, Maine — Crews battled a large fire Friday evening on Commercial Street along Portland’s working waterfront, prompting a third-alarm response at Custom House Wharf, according to the Portland Fire Department. People on Casco Bay Lines ferries saw the flames on Custom House Wharf and called the Portland Fire Department around 5:30 p.m.
At a press conference Friday night, Deputy Fire Chief John Hendrix said the fire burned primary electrical lines, creating a significant hazard for firefighters. Because of the danger, officials requested that power be shut down across the area until utility crews could safely regain control, resulting in outages affecting nearby buildings and boats.
Firefighters faced additional challenges due to winter conditions and limited access along the wharf. Only a small number of fire trucks could reach the end of the pier at a time, and water supply proved difficult without fire boats pumping from the harbor. Several hydrants were frozen or out of service, requiring crews to search for serviceable hydrants to maintain a consistent water supply. Deputy Chief John Hendricks,also said one firefighter sustained minor injuries. The fire also damaged and sunk one boat on the waterfront.
Hendrix said the age of the buildings contributed to the severity of the fire, describing the structures as highly combustible. Conditions became increasingly dangerous as water from firefighting efforts accumulated, leaving crews operating in 10 to 12 inches of water that created slippery conditions.
About 45 Portland firefighters responded directly to the scene, with mutual aid from neighboring communities bringing staffing citywide to nearly 100 firefighters to cover other emergency calls while the fire was being handled.
Investigators are expected to begin examining the scene on Saturday morning. Officials said determining the cause could take several days because of the extent of the damage.
Fire officials reported extensive damage to multiple structures and several boats, including one vessel that sank. One minor injury was reported. Crews from Central Maine Power were working to restore electricity to the area once conditions were deemed safe.
