Dover Fire and Rescue extinguishes late-night fire at downtown restaurant

posted on: 3/7/2021

Dover Fire and Rescue crews were able to extinguish a fire at The Shanty Family Tavern in downtown Dover following a 911 call from a passerby shortly before midnight on Saturday.

The 911 call was received at 11:34 p.m. on Saturday, March 6, 2021. A passerby reported smoke coming from “the roof, the sides and the front door” of the restaurant, located at 471 Central Ave.

The first arriving engine was on scene in less than two minutes, finding heavy smoke coming from the rear of the building. The plate glass windows at the front of the restaurant were stained with smoke from the interior and extremely hot to the touch.

Crews made their way through the front door, where they were met with a high heat, heavy smoke and fire. 

The fire was knocked down with multiple hose lines, and crews spent the next hour searching for and extinguishing remaining pockets of fire in the ceiling and walls. The fire went to a second alarm, bringing additional help from the Rochester, Somersworth, Rollinsford, Durham, Lee, Newington and Portsmouth fire departments. Station coverage was provided by Newmarket; Lee; Berwick, Maine, South Berwick, Maine; Stewarts Ambulance and MacGregor Memorial EMS.

“We think the fire was burning unnoticed for quite some time before the smoke broke through on the outside and was witnessed by a passerby”, said Dover Fire Chief Paul Haas. “A large amount of credit goes to the first arriving crew, who quickly sized up the situation, realized the conditions within, and advanced to extinguish a large body of the fire with the support of additional arriving fire companies. It is very unfortunate that a developing Dover business suffered a substantial amount of damage from this fire, but the fact that it was contained from spreading to immediately adjacent structures is a direct result of their efforts.”

The cause of the fire is currently under investigation by Dover Fire and Rescue’s Fire Investigation Team, with assistance from the New Hampshire Fire Marshal’s Office. There were no injuries reported.

The last crews cleared the scene at 3:30 a.m. this morning.