Cause of The Deck fire deemed 'undetermined'

Sept. 18--SALISBURY -- The cause of the fire that shuttered a popular riverside restaurant and lounge last month has been declared "undetermined," as the Fire Marshal's Office investigators could not discover what had triggered the blaze.

On Saturday morning Aug. 22, a two-alarm blaze damaged much of the exterior of The Deck. Owned by local businessman Mark Audette, the waterfront site had become a gathering place for many to eat and drink.

The fire was called in by several people shortly after 7 a.m. By the time firefighters arrived, flames had damaged much of the exterior area by the kitchen. The dining area, side bar and the waterfront deck were largely undamaged.

The blaze brought firefighters from Seabrook, Amesbury and Newburyport to assist. There were no injuries.

Salisbury fire Chief Rick Souliotis called in the state Fire Marshal's Office to investigate, a regular procedure of the department whenever commercial property is involved. The fire marshal's investigators could not pinpoint how the fire started, he said, resulting in the fire marshal's declaring it of undetermined origins.

"The Fire Marshal's Office came out and put a lot of time into the investigation," Souliotis said. "They couldn't determine what caused the fire. They're going to leave it up to the insurance investigators now."

Souliotis said officials did determine the melting of the gas meters is what "fed the fire," but what wasn't clear is what started it.

"What we couldn't figure out is if the gas meters melted because that's where the fire started or if they melted as a result the fire," he said.

Audette said the gas meter didn't merely melt, but was totally gone when National Grid arrived to take a look at it.

Flames didn't breach the interior, Audette said, but the fire grew so hot, even equipment inside -- like televisions -- melted. All of the interior smells of smoke, he said, and smoke damage could lead to his having to gut the building and start again.

The case isn't closed. In addition to the Fire Marshal's Office, there are ongoing and active investigations being conducted by Audette's insurance company as well as the Massachusetts State Police. Audette said his insurance company's arson investigator spent a lot of time at the site, and an electrical inspector brought in by the state police felt the cause was not electrical.

"This is very aggravating," Audette said. "We were at the height of our busiest season; it was crazy, we were so busy. We'd just built an addition four months ago. Now the place is black from floor to ceiling.

"I'm a 58-year-old guy and this is the first fire I've ever had. They've told me the fire started outside. I found it so odd that it started outside. If someone set this fire, I want to know. I have insurance; I can rebuild. But the fire put 60 people out of work. That's really sad. If someone set this fire, they impacted a lot of innocent people."

Audette, who also owns Ring's Island Marina, opened The Deck in July 2013, a year after he purchased the Bridge Marina property. He hadn't planned to open a restaurant, but when his son, Conrad, approached him to do so, he liked the idea of working with his son.

The Deck is on the site of the former Fish Tale Diner, which is on the property of Bridge Marina. Audette did a major renovation before opening to bring the old building up to code, and recently spent at least $175,000 on construction for the new addition, he said.

Fronting the Merrimack River, with a view of Newburyport's waterfront, from the moment it opened, The Deck quickly became a popular restaurant and bar during its season, which is May through October. Audette hopes to be able to rebuild and reopen by next year.

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