AMESBURY — Market Square was cordoned off and businesses were evacuated Thursday as firefighters responded to a small fire in a multiunit building.
At 11:24 a.m., the Amesbury Fire Department received an automatic fire alarm activation at 36 Main St.
The first crew on scene received a report of a fire on the second floor of the building. Once crews entered the structure, they found significant smoke throughout the building.
A first alarm was struck because of the size and complexity of the building, according to Amesbury Communications Director William Donohue. With the first alarm struck, mutual aid from the Salisbury Fire Department, Newburyport Fire Department and more departments arrived.
Firefighters then found that smoke was coming from between the first and second floors of the building, and the small fire was discovered.
As part of the response, the road in front of the building was closed to traffic, with the city advising via social media that residents “avoid the area if possible.”
There was no significant damage to the building or any reported injuries.
36 Main St. is home to multiple local businesses, and as part of the response, business owners and employees evacuated, waiting for news outside.
Lori Towle, owner of Code and Circuit, which is located on the second floor of the building, said during the evacuation that she and another business owner carried down a valuable robot from the STEAM-focused organization.
“I was on the second floor in the larger classroom when the alarms went off, and someone from the third-floor business helped me carry our $70,000 robot out so that that was safe,” she said.
Bernadette Flanagan, owner of Bernadette’s Day Spa, said she was conducting business when the fire alarm went off and shortly after she noticed a haze of smoke.
“We had a lot in my spa,” she said of the smoke.
Similarly, Michael Nutton, a managing partner of recently opened restaurant Mac Daddies, said as the business was preparing to open for the day, he saw smoke coming out of their vent.
“My vent was on, and we were just getting ready to start orders, and we saw smoke coming down under the vent,” he said.
Once the fire was contained, the response began to wrap up about 1 p.m., with Amesbury Fire and Inspectional Services deeming the building safe for occupation.