Jun 13, 2008  |  By: JOSHUA LYNSEN  | COMMENTS     

A morning fire this week damaged one of Baltimore’s premier gay clubs and a gay newspaper’s offices.

Kevin Cartwright, a Baltimore City Fire Department spokesperson, said the fire at Grand Central and Baltimore OUTloud started on the roof, but was doused soon after it was reported at 9:30 a.m. Monday.

“It was not a big fire at all,” he said. “It was extinguished within 25 minutes of our units arriving on the scene.”

Cartwright said there was some damage to the building but no calculated losses were immediately available. The fire’s cause remained under investigation.

Robert Lynch, Grand Central office manager, said workers had been repairing the roof after it was damaged in a storm last week, but it was unknown if the fire was related to that work.

He said early estimates show the fire caused about $150,000 in damages.

Lynch said Grand Central pub remains open and the club’s disco and ladies lounge should be open by the end of this weekend.

Lynch said the most severe damage occurred on the building’s second and third floors, which include the OUTloud newspaper offices.

In a written statement, OUTloud publisher Mike Chase described the fire as “an insane event,” but said he hoped the publication would quickly regroup.