Massive blaze engulfs historic New England wharf; firefighters race to contain flames

Firefighters battled to contain a massive blaze that sparked Friday evening at a historic wharf in Portland, Maine.

One building was destroyed in the fire, and others were damaged in the blaze that broke out on the Custom House Wharf, FOX 23 reported.

The Old Port in Portland was a major 19th century and early 20th century hub for the commercial fishing industry in the area and is now a popular tourist area with restaurants and shops; working fisherman still keep their boats there.

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"Unfortunately, it looked like the fire had a pretty good head start on us when we got down here, but the first companies did a great job. And they made a really aggressive attack to keep it from spreading down the rest of the wharf," Deputy Fire Chief Jon Hendricks told FOX 23.

The Porthole Restaurant and Pub on the wharf posted Friday that it had survived the fire.

"The Porthole is open today during regular hours if you need a familiar place to gather," the restaurant added on Saturday. 

"Our hearts are with everyone impacted by last night's fire at Custom House Wharf. We're grateful for the first responders and for the safety of our neighbors."

Maine Gov. Janet Mills posted on social media last night that she was monitoring the fire.

"I am aware of the fire on the Portland waterfront and my administration is monitoring the situation," she wrote on X. "Please avoid the area and follow the direction of local fire and public safety officials."

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The fire broke out after 5 p.m. and was under control by around 7:22 p.m., according to WBTS-TV.

One boat sank and others were damaged, News Center Maine reported.

Two firefighters also sustained minor injuries but weren't taken to a hospital.

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The cause of the fire is under investigation.