OGUNQUIT — The Fire Marshall’s office has concluded its investigation of a fire that swept through the Blue Water Inn, Huckleberry’s Restaurant and part of the Norseman Resort on Tuesday evening, saying the fire was accidental. Meanwhile, the local Chamber of Commerce has been connecting employees of the former Blue Water Inn with hiring local business.

According to a statement released by sergeant Ken Grimes of the Fire Marshal’s Office, “The origin of the fire is within the wall area of the Blue Water Inn, on the southeast corner of the building which backs the kitchen and holds the electrical entrance panels. ”¦ The cause is most probably an electrical malfunction of the electrical service. The fire burned inside the wall for a period of time and once it broke out of the wall, it extended up the alley area and spread to the rest of the Blue Water Inn and into the second floor area of Huckleberry’s.”

Karen Arel, the director of the Ogunquit Chamber of Commerce, said that when she heard about the fire, she sprang into action. On Wednesday morning she met with the owners of the Blue Water Inn and got a list of their employees ”“ and immediately began contacting them to find out about their background and experience.

“When you’re a chamber of commerce, you take care of business and you do what you have to,” Arel said.

She then got in touch with businesses in town that needed employees (eight members have already gotten in touch with her about helping out). The chamber has already connected one former groundskeeper for the Blue Water Inn with a new job, she said, and several other former employees have upcoming interviews. The Norseman Resort confirmed that they will be absorbing their employees from Huckeberry’s into their other restaurant, Splash. Both businesses have been exploring the possibility of rebuilding according to Arel, though its too early to say for sure what they’ll do.

The Blue Water Inn structure dates back to an earlier building from 1908, according to Ogunquit Town Assessor Barbara Kinsman, though the current iteration of the Inn opened in the 1970s. The fire chief said that when they went through the building, he could see the charred beams caused by an earlier fire in the 1930s.