Smoking Materials Eyed In Fire At Real Estate Office

BREWSTER – Investigators say carelessly disposed smoking materials may have caused a fire that ripped through a real estate office on Main Street Friday evening.

Just after 7 p.m., a patron in a restaurant across the street first noticed the flames at 1990 Main St. and called 911, and the first arriving firefighters saw heavy flames coming from the building, a Kinlin Grover real estate office. The main portion of the building is an 1830s captain’s house which connects to a larger structure near the rear, likely once a barn but now used for offices.

“The members [of the Brewster Fire Department] and our mutual aid partners did an outstanding job limiting fire spread in the building based on the amount of fire on arrival,” Chief Robert Moran said. Firefighters called for a working fire assignment, and shortly thereafter, a second alarm, to bring in crews from as far away as Hyannis. Firefighters attacked the flames from inside the building, chasing them into the attic and numerous void spaces in the old building before the fire was completely snuffed.

One firefighter was hurt and was taken to Cape Cod Hospital by a Chatham ambulance.

“The [firefighter] sustained a minor shoulder injury and was transported to CCH for evaluation. He was released Friday night and has already returned to work,” Moran said.

State Police fire investigators assigned to the State Fire Marshal’s office were called to assist.

“They determined that the point of origin was in the area of a rear entrance,” said Jake Wark, spokesman for the state Division of Fire Services. “Based on an examination of the scene and witness interviews, the preliminary finding is that it was caused by the improper disposal of smoking materials,” he said.

A damage estimate was not immediately available, but it appeared that fire damage was limited to the rear portion of the building.