Downtown Oak Harbor nightclub damaged in fire

An early morning fire damaged a porch at a downtown Oak Harbor nightclub Wednesday.

An early morning fire damaged a porch at a downtown Oak Harbor nightclub Wednesday.

Oak Harbor Fire Chief Mark Soptich said 15 firefighters and emergency medical service workers responded to the Seven West nightclub on Bayshore Drive at about 3:50 a.m. Someone at the nearby transit station reported the fire.

Soptich said a porch and a roof covering the porch were engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived. Obviously, the club was closed and no one was inside.

The firefighters worked quickly to put out the blaze, the chief said, but one firefighter hurt his back in the effort.

Soptich said the porch was badly burned and there was some smoke damage inside the club. In all, he estimates the damage at $6,000 to $7,000.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.