The Newes from America pub in downtown Edgartown has been closed after a Saturday night fire inside a kitchen wall drew an all-out response from volunteer firefighters.
It was the second fire in three days at the popular pub, although Edgartown fire chief Peter Shemeth said the fires are unrelated. Firefighters had been called to the Newes on Thursday morning for a dryer fire which they promptly put out.
Chief Shemeth said the second call came at about 6:30 Saturday after pub employees saw smoke, determined that it was not related to food preparation, pulled the fire alarm and evacuated the building.
He said it took some time to get to the source of the fire because it was inside one of the kitchen walls. Firefighters used a thermal imaging camera to find the source and then took apart the wall where the fire was located. With smoke inside and outside the building, the chief said the fire had been smoldering for quite awhile.
Oak Bluffs responded with pumper trucks and Tisbury firefighters responded as well, Chief Shemeth said. West Tisbury firefighters covered the Edgartown station during the response.
The pub is located in an 18th-century building, one of the oldest in the downtown area, which Chief Shemeth said is a cause for concern. Confined spaces in the building and the crowded downtown area are also troublesome for fire personnel, he said.
The chief said the fire response took about an hour, plus clean-up afterward.
The cause of fire is under investigation, although the chief said the incident was completely unrelated to the Thursday morning dryer fire in the basement. “Not related at all, but very unusual to have two fires in three days,” he said. “Bad luck. I don’t know.”
He said the wall cut apart by firefighters to extinguish the fire will have to be rebuilt. “They have quite a bit of work to do,” he said.
The Newes had reopened Friday evening for dinner after the Thursday morning fire.
In an email Sunday, Elizabeth Rothwell, a spokesman for the Newes, praised the response. “We are grateful for the rapid response of fire and police authorities. We look forward to reopening as soon as possible. We would like to thank our customers and staff for their continued support,” she said.
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