By Gillian Graham

Staff Writer

 State and federal investigators said Tuesday they were close to pinpointing where a fire started that gutted a popular Old Orchard Beach nightclub.

The Galaxy Night Club at 10 East Grand Ave. was destroyed by a smoky fire reported at 8:23 a.m. Monday. Old Orchard Beach Fire Chief John Glass said crews arrived on scene to find fire and heavy smoke. Crews remained on scene through the evening to douse hot spots while investigators interviewed club employees and witnesses.

The fire is being investigated by Old Orchard Beach police, state Fire Marshal’s Office and federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Sgt. Joel Davis of the Fire Marshal’s Office said Tuesday investigators spent the day combing through the remains of the building to determine where and how the fire started. He said investigators believe the fire started in the back of the building and were trying to determine whether the cause could be electrical.

Dani Sisson, manager of  The Galaxy, said he is convinced the fire was arson and was set by people who want to shut down his business. The club has been prominent in the local nightlife scene for the past 17 years, he said.

“Even if (investigators) say it was an accident, I’m still going to say it was not an accident,” he said. 

Davis said investigators include six fire marshals plus agents from the ATF. He said extra investigators were brought in because of the number of people to interview and in an attempt to return the busy downtown area to normal as soon as possible.

Davis said Sisson told investigators of his concerns about arson, but the incident is being treated like any other fire.

“We want to get this wrapped up as quickly as possible,” he said.

The building was constructed in 1933 and has undergone numerous renovations. The building is assessed by the town at $271,000 and the assessed land value is $310,900. It is owned by Conrad Catalano of Blue Jay Inc. of East Providence, R.I.

Catalano arrived from Rhode Island around 4:30 p.m. Monday but was not immediately available for comment.

Glass said firefighters mounted an unsuccessful interior attack before moving to defensive mode. Firefighters faced challenges because buildings in the area are close together and the second floor was used for storage of items that included building materials. He said fire officials worked with the water company to increase water pressure to the area because of the amount of water needed to contain the fire.

Fire crews responded to the scene from Old Orchard Beach, Scarborough, Saco and Biddeford. The Goodwins Mills Fire Department provided station coverage for other calls.

Firefighters were able to prevent fire from spreading to Ernesto’s Restaurant and Lounge to the west of the Galaxy and to the Big Z T-shirt shop that shares a wall with the burned building.

Tsion Ohayon, owner of Big Z, said there is no damage to the shop he has owned for the past eight years.

“They did a great job to save my building. A super job,” he said. “God bless the fire department.”

No one was injured during the fire and two firefighters were treated on scene for issues related to heat exhaustion, Glass said.

Local officials worked with railroad police to ensure the Amtrak train could pass through the area. Fire hoses had covered the tracks as firefighters sprayed the back of the building with water.

Power and water were shut off to the area for several hours and East Grand Avenue was closed to traffic.

Glass said he inspected the building two or three months ago and suggested Sisson reduce the amount of material stored on the second floor. He said club owners agreed and were taking steps to address the issue.   

Sisson said he had a contract for fire sprinklers to be installed on Sept. 6.

Michael Nugent, code enforcement officer for Old Orchard Beach, said town officials received an anonymous e-mail May 10 that alleged problems at The Galaxy.

“The place has no sprinkler system, the wiring in the place is so old and screwed up I have seen two fires in the wiring and arc outs and overloads because of the wiring that has been done by non electricians,” the author alleged.

Nugent said he and the town’s licensed electrical inspector went to the club for an inspection May 12 along with Sisson and his electrician. They discovered “a few minor things” that were immediately corrected, he said.

Richard McCarthy, senior plans investigator with the state Fire Marshal’s Office, said a 2007 change in state law requires all existing bars and nightclubs with an occupancy higher than 100 people to install sprinkler systems. The office gave business owners until Sept. 3, 2012, to install sprinklers.

The Galaxy on July 8, 2010, received a notice of violation for not responding to a request for installation plans, McCarthy said. Building owners on May 19, 2011, sent the office notice that said they planned to comply. The Fire Marshal’s Office on June 6 accepted the owners’ plan to install the system before the deadline, he said.

As firefighters worked through the morning to battle the blaze, local residents and tourists flocked to the scene to watch.

James Clemens was the first employee at George’s Parking Monday morning. As he unlocked the bathrooms around 7:30 a.m., he heard four or five popping sounds coming from The Galaxy, which is across the railroad tracks from the parking lot.

“Then the black smoke poured out,” he said. “I stopped a woman who had a cell phone and asked her to call 911.”

Clemons, who used to work for the Scarborough Fire Department, watched from the empty parking lot as firefighters worked.

Jessica Hogy of Hollis said she was working at Tom’s Restaurant on East Grand Avenue when employees noticed smoke coming from the back of the club building. She said power was cut off in the area soon after.

“I was like ‘oh my God, the Galaxy is on fire!’ It’s shocking. It’s tragic,” she said. “People were walking around in shock. It’s sad.”

Ken Pankovic, a firefighter from the Brewster Fire Department in New York, was on the beach with his family when they noticed heavy smoke from the fire. He grabbed his camera and coached his son, Josh Nelson, on how to take photos of firefighters dousing flames.

Pankovic said his son and grandson were boogie boarding when they pointed out smoke to him.

“Once I looked up and saw it, I said ‘that’s it, I’m going,’” he said, adding he was impressed by the cooperation among the different fire departments on scene.

Greg and Debbie Peverly of New Hampshire were on their way to get coffee when they noticed the fire. They remained on scene mid-morning to watch as firefighters sprayed the building with water from all directions.

“These guys did a hell of a job. I can’t believe it didn’t spread,” Greg Peverly said.

Town Manager Jack Turcotte walked down from town hall to speak with officials about the fire. He said it seemed like a difficult fire to fight and he was happy no one was injured.

“I’m thankful they were able to contain the fire. I’m also thankful to the other communities for working with the Old Orchard Beach Fire Department,” he said. “We could never have done it on our own.”

Anyone with information about the fire or who may have seen anything out of the ordinary is asked to call investigators at 657-3030 or 888-ATF-FIRE.