LEWISTON – An elderly man was hospitalized and more than a dozen others were forced to flee their homes early this morning after fire flared up in the Hurricane Club, sending smoke into the apartments above.

Police and a passer-by carried Hoppy Harrington, said to be in his late 70s, from his smoke-filled apartment moments after the 12:30 a.m. fire was reported.

Harrington, who lives in one of six apartments above the Lisbon Street bar, suffered smoke inhalation and was taken to Central Maine Medical Center.

“He was out of it,” said Eddie Greyfox, of the American Red Cross. “He was having trouble breathing, and his pulse was racing.”

Police went from door to door above the Hurricane, ordering tenants to leave their apartments. Firefighters burst into the bar and sought the source of the flames that sent smoke billowing into the street.

“All I heard was people telling us to get out of the building,” said Jerry Clark, one of the tenants. “When they opened up the door to the bar, that’s when smoke started pouring out.”

Some tenants took refuge in a building at Lisbon and Chestnut streets. Others huddled around the police station, in back of the fire scene. More people gathered across Lisbon Street, spilling out of other bars to watch the firefighters battle the flames.

“There was smoke coming out the front doors and the back doors,” said Doug Lane, another tenant who was not in his apartment when the fire started.

Police Officer Hart Daley spotted smoke coming from the building while patrolling Lisbon Street. He called for the fire department and then began clearing the apartments.

Police said the fire clearly started inside the bar, although the cause was unknown.

“There was nobody in the bar at all when I got here,” said police Sgt. David St. Pierre. “All the lights were off.”

It was unclear what time the Hurricane closed for business Thursday night or this morning. Police blocked off a section of Lisbon Street while fire crews subdued the fire and cleared smoke from the building.

Harrington was still being evaluated at the hospital early this morning. Police said they did not know the identity of the person who helped saved the elderly man. The nameless hero was given a Lewiston Police medallion for bravery. He then left the scene.

At 1 a.m., police were asked to enter an apartment over the bar to remove a tenant who refused to leave his smoky home. That man was not believed to be hurt.

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