A fire in downtown Friday Harbor on Thursday destroyed three buildings, damaged another three and displaced at least six businesses, including a tavern, a coffee shop, real estate offices, a wine bar, and a kayak tour business, according to fire officials.
The fire came as a devastating blow to the community just as the tourism season was beginning, and left historical landmarks damaged — some dating back as early as the late 1800s.
Fire officials have calculated an early estimate of $10 million in losses and will know more as they continue to assess the full extent of the damage, according to Kimberley Kimple, a spokesperson for the San Juan County Fire Protection District.
The cause of the fire has not yet been determined, but with assistance from the Region 3 Arson Task Force, investigators will be working to find one in the coming week, Kimple said.
The fire was reported near the intersection of First and Spring streets early Thursday morning by a local tow-truck driver.
Crews arrived on scene and implemented an offensive interior attack prior to withdrawing and engaging in a full defensive attack as the fire spread to surrounding structures. Ultimately, two buildings were demolished to prevent the spread of fire, Kimple said.
No injuries were reported and no one was believed to be in the buildings at the time of the fire, she said.
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