OCEAN CITY — The Ocean City Fire Department had a busy Halloween night with a pair of simultaneous incidents at a midtown hotel and an iconic downtown restaurant.
Around 9:05 p.m. on Sunday, Ocean City fire and EMS units responded to the Hilton Hotel at 32nd Street for reported smoke in the structure. Firefighters arrived on scene and found smoke conditions on the eighth floor. During the investigation, fire crews isolated the cause of the smoke to a malfunctioning air handler.
About six minutes later, Ocean City Communications dispatched fire crews to the Angler restaurant on Talbot Street for a building fire. Fire crews arrived and found a working fire at the historic restaurant. Firefighters quickly extinguished the fire and an extensive overhaul was conducted of the fire area. One civilian sustained minor injuries, according to OCFD spokesman Ryan Whittington. The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Ocean City Fire Marshal’s Office.
During the public comment period at Monday’s meeting, Angler family member and local attorney Regan Smith thanked the city and its emergency services departments for saving the historic restaurant.
“I want to thank the council president and the fire company, city staff and the police department,” he said. “The fire was out quickly and prevented the restaurant from burning. I just want to say thank you to all involved.”
The Angler celebrated its final day of the season a day before the fire on Saturday.
