Investigators are blaming an electrical malfunction for a fire inside a Port Deposit restaurant and bar on Thursday morning, according to the Maryland State Fire Marshal’s Office. “The sprinklers contained the fire to the area of origin. Without a doubt, it stopped the fire from spreading,” Deputy State Fire Marshal Oliver J. Alkire said.
About 30 firefighters with volunteer fire companies from Port Deposit, Perryville and Rising Sun rushed to Joe’s Grog House at 26 S. Main Street about 9:20 a.m., after smoke alarms inside the business activated, fire officials said, adding that the business was not open at the time.
“There was smoke showing when we arrived,” said EMS Chief Wayne Tome of the Water Witch (Port Deposit) Volunteer Fire Company. It took firefighters approximately 20 minutes to bring the fire and heavy smoke under control, which involved ventilating the building with fans, Tome said.
Alkire determined that the blaze started inside a section of the actual bar, where patrons stand or sit and order drinks and food, he said. Alkire concluded that wiring inside that bar wall had malfunctioned, sparking the fire, he added. That section of bar is near one of the establishment’s front doors. “The fire has been ruled accidental due to an electrical failure,” Alkire said.
He and Tome both noted that a sprinkler system inside Joe’s Grog House activated and prevented more extensive damage. Joe’s Grog House occupies the first-floor of an historic three-story building, Alkire said, adding that 16 tenants live in seven apartments on the second and third floors of that structure.
“Electricity was restored to the building, and no tenants were displaced as a result of the fire,” said Alkire, who noted that the volunteer firefighters quick response after the smoke alarms alerted also was a key factor. Tome echoed Alkire, remarking, “The sprinklers definitely held the fire in check until we could get there. That’s why sprinklers are so important.”
A fire started Monday morning in the attic of Gadsby’s Tavern, according to the City of Alexandria. The City charactered the blaze as a “small fire.” The museum’s sprinkler system discharged and the fire was quickly extinguished by the Alexandria Fire Department and City staff.
The Museum’s 1792 building, including Gadsby’s Tavern Restaurant, was affected by the water from the sprinkler system. City staff are following the Museum’s disaster plan to minimize damage to the building and its collection.
The Museum and the Restaurant will open to the public for regular operations on Tuesday, June 30; however, Tuesday evening dance classes at the Museum will be cancelled.
Gadsby’s Tavern is known as a historic treasure. In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, it was the center of social and political life in Alexandria and the new Federal City of Washington. The tavern served as the premier gathering place for residents, including George Washington, and visitors to eat, drink, learn, and influence history. Gadsby’s Tavern Museum is located at 134 N. Royal St. in the heart of Old Town Alexandria.
Rochester Fire Department responded to the Mayo Support Center Thursday morning after a piece of machinery that cleans the floor caught fire. “We showed up and they had a smoke haze in the building. The building was investigated and found that in the maintenance area, a piece of maintenance equipment had malfunctioned during charging and caused a small fire, which initiated the sprinkler system, which almost completely extinguished the fire” said Chuck Solseth, the Rochester Fire Department Acting Battalion Chief.
Initially, one fire engine and the battalion chief car responded to the fire alarm; however, two more engines were called in after the discovery of smoke being produced. Crews went in with a carbon dioxide extinguisher and put out what the sprinklers couldn’t.
Solseth said this type of fire does not happen very often. “It’s not very common for things to just catch fire while they’re in there charging. It does happen on occasion. But that’s why it’s important that we monitor what’s going on. Pieces of the equipment that you’re charging, if they’re abnormally warm or making any type of odd odors or sounds, may be reason to unplug it and investigate it further,” said Solseth.
Solseth added that when plastic pieces catch fire, like that of the floor cleaning machinery, it can prove to be detrimental. “The plastics create/release chemicals. The smoke itself will have carbon monoxide in it because of the products of combustion. We ventilated the structure out, used our respiratory equipment, so that we could access the area, ventilated it out, and then verified it with air monitors that there was no more hazard for us,” said Solseth.
Employees of the Mayo Support Center were evacuated until around 12:30 p.m. Thursday.
Reporting on lives and property saved by fire sprinklers
