Firefighters respond to a structure blaze in Portsmouth, N.H., early Monday, April 10, 2017. WFXT-TV in Boston reported that the building houses the State Street Saloon. (Ioanna Raptis/Portsmouth Herald via AP)
Firefighters respond to a structure blaze in Portsmouth, N.H., early Monday, April 10, 2017. WFXT-TV in Boston reported that the building houses the State Street Saloon. (Ioanna Raptis/Portsmouth Herald via AP) Credit: Ioanna Raptis


Portsmouth — Firefighters say a building housing a well-known restaurant has collapsed following a large fire in downtown Portsmouth.

The fire spread from the three-story building housing the State Street Saloon early this morning to a neighboring building that houses several apartments. Firefighters rescued a couple of people. Numerous fire departments responded to the scene. The building was reduced to a pile of rubble.

The blaze broke out at about 12:30 a.m. in a building that houses the 34-year-old State Street Saloon near the city’s Market Square, the heart of its downtown area with shops, restaurants and many historic buildings. Investigators believe it started in the kitchen, but did not have a cause.