4-Alarm Fire Destroys Bagel Shop, Law Firm in Newburyport, Mass.The fire was located at Abrahams Bagels on Liberty Street
By Caroline Connelly and Tim Jones
Firefighters in Newburyport, Massachusetts, knocked down a four-alarm fire at a bagel shop and law firm Tuesday morning. (Published Tuesday, June 28, 2016)
Firefighters in Newburyport, Massachusetts, knocked down a four-alarm fire at a bagel shop and law firm Tuesday morning.
Investigators say they believe the fire started on a patio outside Abraham’s Bagels on Liberty Street before spreading upstairs to a law firm.
"It’s just devastating. I’m thinking of my employees. They won’t be working, the community," said Linda Garcia, owner of Abraham’s.
A baker working inside the shop noticed the flames spreading around 4:00 a.m. Multiple agencies responded, including crews from New Hampshire, allowing firefighters to preserve the structure of the property.
Firefighters Battle 4-Alarm Fire in Newburyport, Mass.
Firefighters in Newburyport, Massachusetts, are on the scene of a four-alarm fire Tuesday morning. (Published Tuesday, June 28, 2016)
Alarms sounded throughout an apartment building attached to the structure.
"It looks like a bomb went off inside of our office," said Rob Ciampitti, whose second floor law firm was also destroyed.
After extinguishing flames, Ciampitti said firefighters went back in to carry out client files from the space. While the office was ruined, he immediately rented out space up the street in order to conduct business.
"It wasn’t until I stepped foot in there that I realized it is as bad as I can conceive of and then some," he said, "But we’re staying open."
Garcia’s property could take much longer to reopen. Opened 29 years ago, the bagel shop will need an extensive remodel that will likely take several months.
"You work so hard, but we’ll rebuild," Garcia said, "We’re going to rebuild."
A GoFundMe page has been setup to help Garcia and her employees.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.