Fires were common in Winter Harbor in the era of open flames, wood stoves, candles, and oil lamps, when bucket brigades and hand-pump fire engines were often not enough. Major fires reshaped the town in 1887, 1891, 1902, 1915, 1922, and 1931, but residents rebuilt each time to restore essential businesses, including stores selling groceries, apparel, hardware, plumbing supplies, livery, and women's hats. Buildings erected after these fires often had flat-fronted facades instead of the earlier traditional peaked roofs. In June 1891, the Beacon Hotel above Inner Harbor, known for its shady porches and turreted rooms, burned at the start of its fourth season and was gone in under 3 hours. In July 1902, a fire that began at 1:30 am at the Schoodic Inn consumed the 1888 Tracy Block/F.D. Foster's Store near 368 Main Street, the Schoodic Inn, a livery stable, and a private home. In June 1915, fire burned the newly rebuilt Tracy-Bunker block, which had replaced buildings destroyed in July 1902. In November 1922, on the side of Main Street with the A.B. Whitehouse store, most of the buildings burst into flames, including the A.B. Whitehouse Store at 349 Main Street; local store owners immediately began rebuilding, and the Sunday afternoon fire had started when a small oil burner was left burning upstairs.