A Dec. 23 kitchen fire at an East Avenue business caused about $70,000 in damage, officials said this week.
The fire at Fjord Fish Market was caused by a gas explosion, according to Fire Marshal Paul Payne.
“It certainly was not intentional,” Payne said during his monthly update to members of the Fire Commission at their regular meeting, held at the firehouse on Main Street. “One of the workers there turned the wrong valve, they lit the pilot for the fryer, turned the wrong valve, let gas into the room, went to light the fryer, there was an explosion, it caught fire.”
The fire safety system kicked in properly and put out the fire, he said.
“Fortunately, nobody was injured,” Payne said.
Other updates in his report included:
A countertop fire caused by a candle;
An electrical outlet fire;
The proposed Hill Street affordable housing development and resubmitted 751 Weed St. development are on the Planning & Zoning Commission agenda for Jan. 24;
- The Husted Lane mixed-use building “has some issues in the plan review, but enough to give them a foundation permit so we are anticipating a foundation shortly”;
- The new Police Department is “well on its way as far as design for the building, the training facility not so much”;
- Town officials are working on plans for the Police Department to move into a building at Locust Avenue and Forest Street;
- A main stairwell has been removed at Schoolhouse Apartments in order to add an elevator that will support a gurney;
- The Playhouse is vacant and former tenants Earth Garden and the Chamber of Commerce both have been relocated; demolition is “well underway” at the Elm Street building and plans are almost finalized for a permit;
And demolition started Monday at Waveny House “with the permitting to follow for mostly accessibility issues and an elevator.”