BERLIN – A fire damaged Apple Discount Drugs in Berlin early Saturday morning.
At 4:15 a.m. on Saturday, firefighters from Berlin, Showell, Ocean Pines, Ocean City and Newark responded to a building fire at the Apple Discount Drugs on Franklin Avenue in Berlin. Though fire damage was limited to the roof and exterior, there was smoke and water damage throughout the building.
“Damage was done in the upper part of the store near the Apple sign facing 113,” said Zack Sherr, assistant director of store operations for Apple Discount Drugs.
According to the Worcester County’s Fire Marshal’s Office, crews arrived to find smoke and fire extending from the building’s roof. Crews were on the scene for two and a half hours.
“The cause of the fire is accidental and contributed to an electrical issue with the outside sign,” the office stated in a news release.
Dave Engelhart, Berlin’s planning director, also addressed the fire at Tuesday’s town council meeting. He said he’d been advised by the fire marshal that there was no need to condemn the building.
“There’s kind of a false roof above the actual structural roof,” Engelhart said. “The Apple Discount Drug, the logo that used to blink, the apple actually caught fire. It was an electrical fire but mostly water damage.”
He added that because there was no structural damage staff had been permitted to continue allowing customers to pick up prescriptions with the drive-through.
“They are operating only through the drive-through so the public knows people are not shut out of their prescriptions,” Engelhart said.
Sherr said the store was grateful for the quick response of local fire crews and offered thanks to Service Master, Sperry Van Ness, Absolute Security, McIntyre’s Electrical Service and Pintail Builders as well.
Though the front portion of the building, which has been Apple’s home in Berlin for the past 15 years, remains blocked off, Sherr said, “Apple was quick to make arrangements to continue to serve customers throughout the weekend.”
