Fire destroyed grocery business

Twenty-five years ago this week, a Portland business was destroyed in a fire.

The July 11, 1996, edition of The Commercial Review featured coverage of the fire at Lake’s Garage and Grocery on Bridge Street in Portland.

The business owned by Paul and Sara Lake caught fire about 3:15 p.m. July 10, 1996, when a mechanic was using a torch to cut an exhaust pipe. Sparks fell into a crawl space, causing the wood floor to ignite. By the time employees and customers noticed the fire, the rear wall of the structure was in flames.

Portland firefighters arrived within about a minute of the call, but a cloud of black smoke was already billowing into the sky. Flames soon began to shoot from the roof. Portland Fire Chief Doug Blankenbaker said tires, air compressor tanks, oxygen tanks for welding, oil and other flammable substances caused the fire to spread quickly.

Firefighters had the flames under control in a little over an hour. No one was injured in the fire. A vacant house just north of the business was spared of any damage.

A Ford Explorer that was in the garage area was destroyed while other vehicles, motorcycles and lawnmowers were pulled from the structure before it burned down.

Heat from the fire melted siding at the home of Donald and Janice Cookie at 234 W. Second St.

Total damage as a result of the fire was estimated between $50,000 and $75,000.