Gloucester Fire Department In Action
Four-Alarm Blaze Strikes Downtown
(Courtesy of Gloucester Daily Times)
By GAIL McCARTHY
Times staff
A four-alarm fire raged in the area of 140 Main Street last night as firefighters strove to prevent it from spreading to adjacent shops.
Firefighters were called to the scene at 7:22 p.m. Within 30 minutes, four alarms had been struck.
The fire later spread to the Curtain Shop, owned by Richard Strauss and celebrating its 50th anniversary. Local Colors, an artisans' cooperative on the other side, suffered extensive water and smoke damage.
The shop at 140 Main St. had been occupied by the Dress Code consignment shop until recently. It now houses another consignment shop and hair salon, both so new that their names were not widely known.
When firefighters arrived, flames were rolling out of a second-floor window. Firefighters worked for hours pouring water over the flames coming from the roofs, trying to contain it.
Bystanders heard a small explosion, which Fire Chief Barry McKay later explained was the rear of the second floor collapsing.
McKay said the Lagas family, which was driven out of their home at 140 Main St., was outside when firefighters arrived.
After a search of all three
floors, firefighters were assured that everybody was out of the building.
"That relieved our concern about life safety and we could focus on the containment of the fire," McKay said.
Police Chief James Marr said the Gloucester harbormaster was standing by in the harbor to provide more water lines in case there was a dip in water pressure.
Marr said the fire threatened up to three quarters of the city block.
"It looks like a couple of floors may have collapsed," said Marr around 10 p.m. last night. "There's concern about the building collapsing."
Firefighters from Rockport, Essex and Manchester assisted the Gloucester firefighters, both at the fire itself and by covering the city's stations.
Main, Rogers and Middle streets were blocked off as hundreds of people crowded near to see the eye-stinging smoke and flames.
Crowds of people lined every intersection in the periphery around the downtown area, milling about on a warm Friday night.
Children, from youngsters to teens, gathered in circles to watch the smoke and pass the time. Parents with strollers, teens on bikes, visitors and residents came out in swarms to watch the action.
At the time the fire broke out, hundreds of people were attending an Alan Estes concert at Harbor Loop; some left when they saw the smoke. Others attending a reception on board the Friendship, here for the Seaport Festival, also left to watch the fire.
People lined up back to the library steps across from the Cape Ann YMCA to catch a glimpse of the orange flames dancing on the Curtain Shop roof. One artist who worked in the nearby newly opened Cante Wawi Chaco shop tried to find out the extent of the fire.
People moved past police lines trying to take photographs. Others had their
video cameras out trying to get the fire on film. Still others gathered in front
of the Gloucester House restaurant and behind the Sovereign Bank.
Police officers had to push back the police lines, and spent hours pushing back onlookers crossing the lines.
Shortly after the fire broke out, residents Glenn Lander and Lucy Glatfelter left the downtown Dunkin' Donuts and smelled the smoke. They saw black billows coming from further down Main Street. They estimated the flames were shooting up about 25 feet before firefighters knocked the fire down.
By 10:30 p.m., the fire was under control. By 11, firefighters were pulling back some hoses and beginning to break down equipment.
