In Millharbor, a massive fire has suddenly erupted in the historic Mariner’s Block district.

The blaze began around 3:42 p.m. inside the century-old McAllister Textiles Building.

The destructive flames quickly spread to nearby structures, filling the skyline with thick black smoke.

Eyewitnesses reported a strong burning smell before the fire suddenly burst through the upper windows.

The rapidly escalating emergency situation forced panicked pedestrians, local vendors, and residents to flee.

Entire street traffic completely stopped as large crowds gathered at a distance while emergency crews arrived.

Terrified residents described scenes of total panic, mass confusion, and screaming in the streets.

More than 100 professional firefighters rapidly responded from multiple city stations to battle the blaze.

However, dry timber and strong harbor winds allowed the fire to spread with extreme speed.

The shifting winds damaged nearby residential buildings and completely collapsed part of a main roof.

Several brave firefighters suffered from severe smoke inhalation while trying to rescue trapped workers.

However, just as the main roof section came crashing down, a local business owner handed city investigators a live dashcam video recorded just three minutes before the explosion. What the high-definition footage clearly showed happening on the loading dock of the textile mill completely changed the entire nature of the investigation from an accident to a criminal manhunt…