Staff reports 6:42 a.m.
Wednesday, May 25, 2022 6:41 am

The resort, which was a mecca for midcoast visitors, burned to the ground on Monday night. (left, Maine Dept. of Safety; right Courtesy

BOOTHBAY HARBOR, Maine - A favorite summer tourist spot for visitors to midcoast Maine went up in flames on Monday.

The Beach Cover Waterfront Inn, formerly the Lakeview, burned to the ground after fire broke out in the area of the inn's water heaters, according to at least one witness who saw the flames first.

When Boothbay firefighters arrived around 8:25 p.m. the inn was heavily involved, safety officials said in a Tuesday press release.

Fire crews fought the fire for several hours during the overnight, however the structure was destroyed during the course of the fire.

Investigators from the State Fire Marshal's Office and ATF responded to the scene Tuesday morning, but were unable to determine the cause of the fire due to the extent of the damage.

The Inn is owned by Andrei Elizarkov, who was preparing to open for the season this week.

Several fire departments were involved with fire suppression efforts, including Boothbay Harbor, Boothbay, Southport, Edgecomb, Wiscasset, New Castle, Damarascotta and Bristol.