Small fire and smoke damage at Sophia’s

By Sam Sandler Contributing Writer

(July 28, 2023) Stores in the Gold Coast Mall in north Ocean City were temporarily evacuated late last week when a small fire broke out at Sophia’s Italian Restaurant.

The incident was reported around 1:30 p.m., last Thursday, July 20, inside the restaurant at 11405 Coastal Highway.

Firefighters from Ocean City quickly responded, along with mutual aid companies from Bethany Beach, Roxana, and Ocean Pines. The blaze was reportedly placed under control only minutes after firefighters arrived on scene.

Ocean City Fire Chief Richard Bowers said the sprinkler system in the building was very effective at mitigating the fire before responders ar- rived. The firefighters extinguished the remaining flames that the sprinkler system did not handle.

Bowers said that as a result of the fire, that “smoke conditions could be found throughout the entire mall.”

He also explained that “smoke removal, salvaging, and overhaul of the fire was going to continue for a while.”

While the entire mall was evacuated, many did not realize that a fire was occurring in one of the storefronts inside. The manager of the neighboring Layton Surf Store, Zachary Layton, explained that he “smelled smoke and heard the fire alarm” as he was exiting the building. He said the fire did not seem to be large in size, but that the heavy smoke was inside of his store.

Another witness who was inside of the Rite Aid in the mall, Jenna Wooten, said she was “unaware of the fire” and confused about the situation unfolding as she walked into the store.

She explained that once she was outside of the store, “firefighters were responding and a few minutes later, they started to go onto the roof of the mall.”

Wooten added that this was the first time she saw smoke, and that she stayed near the scene while noting that “no one was injured from the fire, which is a good thing.”