BREAKING: structure fire at the Gas Light in Portsmouth

News

A four-alarm structure fire struck the Portsmouth Gas Light Co. at 64 Market St. around 10 a.m. Wednesday morning.

Witnesses said flames were shooting from an exhaust vent on the roof of the building. A crowd of people gathered on the roof of the Hanover Street parking garage to watch as firefighters hosed down the top floor of the building and used a chainsaw to ventilate the roof.

Andy Chase, who works nearby, said he smelled the smoke and heard sirens a little after 10 a.m. and walked over to the scene. He said a section of the roof was engulfed in flames for about 10 minutes. It looked like they were struggling to get water up there, Chase said. He said employees of the Gas Light told him the fire had started in the building’s exhaust system.

Smoke continued to pour from the roof at 11 a.m. as more emergency personnel arrived at the scene. There were no initial reports of injuries. Departments on scene included Portsmouth, Kittery, Dover, Hampton, and Rye.

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