A New Year's Day fire ravaged a historic building on Falmouth's Main Street, resulting in injuries and substantial damage to several businesses and residential units. The blaze, which took emergency crews hours to contain, broke out at approximately 5 p.m., tearing through the commercial center of the quaint Cape Cod town.
Falmouth Police reported that the conflagration occurred at 176 Main Street, urging the public to steer clear of the area between the Falmouth Public Library and the Village Green, including nearby side streets. Witness footage suggested the fire originated in the building housing Twigs Falmouth, a local gift shop, and quickly spread to adjacent businesses such as Maine Sea Bags, the Homespun Garden, and Pickle Jar Kitchen, as well as residential units above, according to a report by NBC Boston. Next door, the Añejo Mexican Bistro also faced the fire threat.
Falmouth's Fire Chief Timothy Smith, speaking with CBS Boston, revealed that four people sustained minor injuries, including one firefighter. He described a harrowing scene where flames were "coming out the front of the building," and raising concerns about fire reaching the attic. An inspector is expected to evaluate the integrity of the historic structure. Five neighboring businesses suffered significant water damage due to the firefighting efforts, reported CBS Boston.
Despite the swift spread of the fire, which caused debris to fall from the building, Chief Smith praised his team for their rapid response and efforts in managing the blaze, "The personnel did a phenomenal job, especially since they had injuries when they first got here, as well as the amount of fire that they had," Smith told WHDH. He went on to credit the quiet holiday streets, which likely prevented a worse outcome, "Usually, we’re very active on Main Street during non-holidays," said Smith. However, in the aftermath several residents found themselves without homes as multiple apartments sustained damage from the inferno.
The cause of the New Year's blaze is currently under investigation with officials and locals alike awaiting answers. As Falmouth rings in the new year, the community now faces the daunting task of rebuilding and recovering from this unexpected disaster.
