Shannon Moss, public information officer for Maine Department of Public Safety, reported Tuesday evening, May 24 that due to the extent of the damage, investigators from the State Fire Marshal’s Office and Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) were unable to determine the cause of the Monday evening, May 23 fire that destroyed Beach Cove Waterfront Inn in West Boothbay Harbor. The earliest fire reported was seen in the area of the structure which housed the water heaters for the inn.

The inn’s owner, Andrei Elizarkov, had been preparing to open for the season the week of May 23, according to Moss’s statement.

Several fire departments were involved with fire suppression efforts, including Boothbay Harbor, Boothbay, Southport, Edgecomb, Wiscasset, Newcastle, Damariscotta and Bristol.