A fire at the Sugar Shack on Friday will not disrupt the town’s 34th annual Christmas Prelude, which started Friday, or Saturday’s Prelude Christmas Tree Tour, which is scheduled to start at the candy store at 17 Western Ave.

Kennebunk emergency workers got a call from a school bus driver who reported smoke hanging in a haze over the village at 6:15 a.m. Friday, said Fire Chief Jeffrey Rowe. Because smoke was not streaming from the building, it took a few minutes to find the fire, he said.

Firefighters eventually found the fire in the rear wall of the candy store, which is closed for the season. An upstairs apartment was vacant, he said.

Firefighters confined the fire to that section of the building, he said. A dress store, PJ’s Unique Peek, on one side might have gotten the smell of smoke, he said. Ryan’s Corner Irish Pub & Restaurant was unaffected.

Rowe said the fire started within the rear wall of the store, but the cause was under investigation.

There was no one in the building when the fire started. Route 9 was closed between Port Road and Ocean Avenue.

The Prelude Christmas Tree Tour will benefit the Kennebunk High School class of 2016.


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.