Portland, ME, Firefighters Use Fire Boat to Contain 3-Alarm Wharf Fire

A three-alarm fire ripped through the Custom House Wharf in Portland Friday night and left two firefighters injured.

The fire was first reported at 5:33 p.m. by a crew on the Casco Bay Ferry called in the fire but did not know exactly what was burning.

"Initial arriving crews struck the all-hands assignment at 5:35 PM with significant smoke and fire visible from multiple buildings," the Portland Fire Department shared in a statement. 

A second alarm was called at 5:41 when firefighters found a single-story commercial building burning, along with a two-story building at the Old Port of Portland.

With heavy fire conditions, firefighters called a third alarm two minutes later. That brought all on-duty Portland firefighters, the city's fire boat and mutual aid crews from Cumberland, Falmouth Scarborough, South Portland, Westbrook to the scene.

Firefighters used a defensive posture to battle the fire for nearly two hours. The fire was placed under control at 7:22 p.m., fire officials said. 

"Multiple boats tied to the wharf sustained damage from the fire and firefighting operations, and one of the boats did sink," the department shared.

Two firefighters suffered minor injuries in the fire.

Cape Elizabeth Fire/Rescue was called in to cover the vacted Portland firehouses.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.