It’s been 15 years since a three-alarm fire that began around 6 a.m. on Jan. 29, 2002 destroyed Hooper’s Crab House. Firefighters from Ocean City, Ocean Pines and Berlin fought the blaze for over 10 hours at the West Ocean City restaurant. Damages were estimated in excess of $1 million.
Water supply was a problem there were no fire hydrants in the area at this time. Route 50 was shut down for several hours so that hose lines could be stretched across the highway while water was drafted from the Sinepuxent Bay. Pictured, former Mayor Roland E. Powell is pictured standing in the bay with a pumping truck.
Owners Pete and Royette Shepherd rebuilt the popular restaurant in its original style and filled it with the same kind of memorabilia that had given the original Hooper’s its unique appeal. The restaurant remains an Ocean City landmark at the entrance to the Route 50 Bridge.
Photo courtesy of The Dispatch