OCEAN CITY — The Ocean City Fire Marshal’s Office continues to investigate another fire last Thursday evening in the same general area where three other blazes have occurred this year, raising suspicion something more than mere coincidence could be afoot.
Last Friday, two downtown residents were displaced after an early morning residential fire at St. Louis Ave. near 1st Street, the fourth fire in basically the same block thus far this year. Around 12:50 a.m. last Friday, the Ocean City Fire Department responded to the area of St. Louis Avenue and 1st Street for a reported building fire. First arriving units discovered fire and heavy smoke emanating from a second-floor unit of the two-story residential building. Fire crews quickly extinguished the blaze, but remained on the scene for about three hours.
Two occupants of the ground-floor unit were displaced during the fire and were assisted by the American Red Cross and no injuries were reported. This week, the Ocean City Fire Marshal’s Office continued to investigate last Friday’s fire along with any possible connection to another residential fire on the same block in June and possibly the two fires that severely damaged the old de Lazy Lizard Brew Pub and eventually led to the demolition of the historic building that housed Melvin’s Steakhouse for decades.
Ocean City Communications Director Jessica Waters on Wednesday confirmed the Fire Marshal’s Office continues to investigate last week’s blaze along with the causes of the three other fires in roughly the same block. While she said it was too early to make any determination, the cause of the four fires remained under investigation.
Meanwhile, the property owner of the residential building involved in last Friday’s fire also confirmed on Wednesday the cause of the various blazes in the same block were under investigation by the Fire Marshal’s Office, and although he wouldn’t speculate further, he did say it seemed like a connection was possible.
“It seems suspicious and I know they continue to investigate,” said building owner Stephen Carullo on Wednesday. “It definitely seems like a lot of fires in the same general area and they are investigating them, but I don’t know any more than that and I don’t know if they have established any possible connection.”
Last Friday’s residential fire was the fourth in the same area in the last year and the second since June.
In June, Ocean City Communications received a call from employees at de Lazy Lizard advising first responders of a fire in the area of 1st Street and St. Louis Ave. The Ocean City Fire Department was dispatched and arrived on the scene quickly, locating the fire burning in a small efficiency cottage in the rear yard of a residence south of 1st Street on St. Louis Avenue.
“The early notification of the fire department led to a quick extinguishment by arriving engine crews,” said OCFD Captain Josh Bunting at the time. “Damage was limited to the cottage of origin, which was unoccupied at the time of the fire. Thankfully, no one was hurt.”
Neighboring residences were temporarily evacuated for safety, but residents returned to their homes after the fire was brought under control. That June fire came after two separate blazes that severely damaged de Lazy Lizard Brew Pub building on the corner of 1st Street and Philadelphia Ave.
On Feb. 10, a major fire occurred at the historic building on the corner of 1st Street and Philadelphia Avenue, injuring four, including two Ocean City firefighters, and displacing 13 residents who lived in the apartments on the upper levels. A little more than a month later, a second fire was reported at the vacant building in the early morning hours of March 18 when a passerby reported smoke and fire visible from a second floor window of the three-and-a-half story structure. The old building was eventually demolished in May and the site became an additional parking area for de Lazy Lizard.
