A Monday evening fire in an attic area damaged The Dory on Bridge Street; no injuries were reported and the cause of the blaze was deemed accidental.
The Shelter Island Police Department said Tuesday the fire appears to have started in an attic space above the kitchen of the restaurant, which had recently reopened after a long pandemic hiatus.
“The Shelter Island Town Police Department has investigated the fire and based upon scene examination, physical evidence, firefighter and witness statements, and the knowledge of fire development, it was determined that the fire origin was in the attic space above the kitchen,” the report from SIPD said.
“This space housed various compressors, condenser units, and fans that serviced the refrigeration, freezer, and related appliances within the structure. An unspecified electrical event or malfunction, in the area of the refrigeration systems could not be eliminated as a cause for the fire.”
A police officer on routine patrol around 6 PM observed smoke coming from The Dory.
“Shelter Island Fire Department was immediately dispatched and the occupants of the building were evacuated,” said the report from SIPD Detective-Sergeant Jack H. Thilberg. The SIFD “quickly brought the fire under control and extinguished same.”
The local EMS squad was activated for stand-by and the Greenport Fire Department responded to assist. No reported injuries were sustained during the incident, Thilberg said.
