Bainbridge Building Declared Total Loss After Fire

PORT DEPOSIT, MD — An abandoned building was declared a total loss after a fire at the Bainbridge Naval Base campus Wednesday in Port Deposit. When the campus was in use, the two-story building had been a dining hall, according to investigators.

A passerby in town discovered the blaze at 11:34 a.m., and it took 50 firefighters about two hours to bring it under control, the Office of the State Fire Marshal reported. An engine and tower truck from the Susquehanna Hose Company were at the scene, the fire company reported after noon.

One firefighter was hospitalized, according to the Water Witch Volunteer Fire Company, which was the commanding agency. It reported its crews were working at the fireground until about 5 p.m.

The cause and origin of the fire remain under investigation. Anyone with information may call the Northeast Regional Office of the State Fire Marshal at 410-836-4844.

It was not the first fire at the campus.

"The center located in Port Deposit has been the site numerous fires over the years dating back to the ’80s," the fire marshal said in a statement. "The vast campus is over 1,100 acres and is overgrown with few remaining structures intact. The building is a complete loss."