UPDATE: Hampton Fire Caused by Old Wiring

A Tuesday afternoon fire at  on Ocean Boulevard in Hampton is believed to have been caused by faulty wiring.

The one-alarm fire broke out at 2:15 p.m. and was knocked down by 3:14 p.m., fire officials said.

Hampton Fire Chief Chris Silver says he is "pretty confident" the fire was caused by "old, poor wiring" in the wood-frame building.

Silver said the fire has been ruled accidental, and it appeared to have started in a contained area between the ceiling of the first-floor market and the apartments above.

No one was injured in the fire, Silver said. The only person who was in the building when the fire started was the store owner's wife, who had reported the fire after smelling a strong "smoke odor," said Silver.

The second and third story of the three-story structure has several apartments, although Silver said no one was home at the time of the fire.

Silver said the damage was contained to the first floor. He estimated the damage at $30,000 to $45,000, mostly due to smoke and water. Silver said much of the inventory was also damaged, although no value was available Tuesday.

The chief said the building's sprinklers did not activate because the smoke and fire was contained to an area above the sprinkler heads. 

The market was closed Tuesday evening, and Silver said no one will be allowed in the building overnight. The apartment tenants didn't request assistance for lodging, according to Silver.

He also said the store owner is going to start cleaning on Wednesday, and the tenants in the apartments above will be allowed in as soon as the town's Building Department determines the structure is safe.

Hampton, North Hampton, Hampton Falls, Exeter, Seabrook, Portsmouth and Rye fire departments all responded to the scene. Dover, Greenland and Salisbury, Mass., provided station coverage.

The Hampton Fire Department is currently shorthanded due to recent retirements, although Silver said it didn't affect the way crews attacked the flames Tuesday.

Among the recent retirements are the department's fire investigator and fire prevention officer, and Silver said the absence of those two positions did slow the investigative process because he had to perform typical chief duties on scene as well as the jobs of those two individuals.

Lighthouse Groceries is located at 369 Ocean Boulevard, and is owned by Jean and Todd Loiseau. It sells groceries, subs, beverages and beach necessities like hats and flip-flops.