Ocean City has suffered many devastating fires in its history, but none worse than “The Great Fire of 1925.” The fire began in the Power Plant on Baltimore Avenue around 7:30 a.m. and spread through several blocks of the downtown area on De. 29. The severe cold made firefighting difficult and water was drafted from holes cut in the ice on the bay as hydrants froze.
The town’s two oldest hotels – the Atlantic (1875) and the Seaside (1876) – both burned to the ground as did the original Fishing Pier. Two blocks of the Boardwalk between Worcester and Somerset streets burned include Dolle’s Candyland and the Pier Building. Smoke could be seen as far away as Berlin.
An eyewitness described the scene as “hell had come to earth on the Ocean City sand.”
Photo by Owen Mumford, courtesy Frances Mumford