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Thursday, September 24, 2015

Fourth Fire On Same OC Block Raises Questions; ‘Suspicious’ Blaze Under Investigation

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.

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7 comments:

Anonymous said...

I can only speculate the connection. living right in the middle of all the building that have caught fire,good ole johnny cropper. he burned down half of oc in the late 80s early 90s. he also was convicted of setting fire to the old cropper concrete plant.he only admitted to half the fires he set and spent years in the Worcester co.jail.he just happens to show up at every fire. does anyone else see the connection??

Anonymous said...

Lightning often hits buildings once they don't keep producing adequate income and the buildings are worth less than the lots they occupy.

Anonymous said...

He was way to drunk at that time of night to do harm to anyone or thing.

Anonymous said...

2:56pm...I was there working OC that night...a few blocks away...

No storms in the area....

Sounds like Homeless Arsonists in the area who sleep everywhere...

Anonymous said...

I'm thinking the same thing 2:16.

Anonymous said...

Maybe it's a lightning bug?

Anonymous said...

Go Johnny go?