Firefighters from across the region responded Sunday afternoon to a serious fire at 329 Cannon Street, the downtown property that includes Brian’s Best Cafe & Pastries and Skipjack Art Studios.
The Chestertown Volunteer Fire Company recorded a structure fire at the address at 3:40 p.m., followed by another fire call at the same location four minutes later. A station transfer was recorded at 4:17 p.m. as local and mutual-aid crews continued working at the scene.
According to an eyewitness account provided to the Spy, the fire may have started in a vehicle parked between two buildings. The vehicle reportedly became heavily involved in flames and appeared to explode or rupture its fuel tank, after which fire reached the siding of a neighboring house.
That account remains unofficial, and fire authorities had not announced a cause as of late Sunday afternoon.
One injured person was seen on the sidewalk and was taken from the scene on a stretcher, according to the eyewitness. No obvious burn injuries were observed. The person’s condition and the circumstances of the injury were not immediately known.
The emergency response was extensive, with the eyewitness reporting several dozen fire and emergency vehicles at the scene. Mutual-aid equipment was reported coming from communities as far south as Queenstown and as far north as Cecilton, although the full list of responding departments had not yet been officially released.
Of particular concern was the close spacing of buildings along Cannon Street. The eyewitness said flames had reached the siding of a neighboring house and that, had the structure become fully involved, wind could have carried the fire farther through the closely packed buildings.
The 329 Cannon Street property is home to Brian’s Best Cafe & Pastries, operated by chef Charles “Brian” Bennett, as well as Skipjack Art Studios. Tom and Betty Tucker Dietz are associated with the property and its arts businesses.
Smoke and the smell of the fire remained noticeable in the surrounding area late Sunday afternoon as firefighters continued their work.
The extent of the damage was not immediately known. The apparent vehicle origin of the fire, the reported fuel-tank rupture and details concerning the injured person remain unconfirmed pending an official report.
The Spy will update this story as more information becomes available.
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