Mystic Fire Chief Anthony Manfredi said it could take a few days to determine what caused a massive wind-driven fire along the Mystic River in Mystic Sunday night that spread to multiple buildings and several boats at a marina.
He is asking anyone who has video showing early images of the fire to provide it to the Stonington Police Department.
Firefighters received a 911 call about smoke in the area of Seaport Marine with some flames showing around 9 p.m.
When fire crews arrived on Washington Street, they said they found heavy smoke with heavy flames coming out of the front of a building on the property. The fire quickly spread to other buildings in the back and tt took nearly three-and-a-half hours to contain the fire.
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Seaport Marine said the fire destroyed several structures and they are thankful for all the first responders for their efforts in containing the blaze.
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The large commercial building was connected to another building and was a short distance away from a multi-occupancy home.
The strong winds spread the fire on the property and crews worked to protect other houses in the the area. Homes that were nearby were evacuated.
"It was a wind-driven fire, so it spread pretty rapidly. We had crews on both sides of the marina extinguishing the fire," Manfredi said.
A commercial building on the property has collapsed and the residential building is still standing, Manfredi said. A couple of boats also caught on fire at the marina.
Hours after the fire broke out, crews appeared to have a handle on it. Crews are still at the scene and expect to remain there all day on Monday.
Crews are working to remove the metal that collapsed.
According to investigators, some propane tanks were inside of the property and exploded during the fire.
"I heard one or two large bangs and looked out the kitchen window and saw some flames and said, 'Oh, that's a little more than normal.' And you could hear the floor like a transformer going off. And then some smaller pops," said Stephen Finnigan, of Mystic.
Power lines were also burned and came down. The electric company was called in and the grid was shut down. Around six poles need to be replaced.
The power remains off and it is expected to be restored Monday evening or Tuesday morning.
Some residents said the area where the fire was is a big part of the community.
"It's sad it's been a bit of an icon. It's been here forever. So disappointing. Hopefully everybody was safe, nobody got hurt," added Steve Tavards, of Mystic.
One firefighter was evaluated for minor injuries. No other injuries were reported.
The cause of the fire is under investigation and Manfredi said it could take a few days to determine.
