Main Street Fire Displaced Two Businesses, Left $150K in Damage

An early morning fire in the downtown area of Main Street left $150,000 in damage to the mixed commercial-residential building and displaced two business tenants.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation, said Fire Chief John Touhey Tuesday, but is thought to be accidental in nature.

The fire was reported about 7:40 a.m. Saturday in a multi-story building at 80 Main St. No one was injured. The building is next to the Turtle Tavern, and across the street from the Milford Fire station at Spruce Street.

The business tenants are a clothing store, Luzo Brazil Imports, on the first floor and a karate studio on the second. Another business space was unoccupied on the first floor, as well as an unoccupied barber shop on the second floor, said Touhey.

The fire began on the first floor, then spread to the second, Touhey said.

Residential apartments at the rear of the structure were evacuated, but this part of the building was not damaged by the fire and the tenants were allowed to re-enter their homes once the fire department made sure everything was in working order.

The building will not have to be torn down, Touhey said.