VIDEO: Officials launched an investigation after several buildings in Salisbury were destroyed by a nine-alarm fire as whipping wind gusts battered the seaside town early Monday morning. Firefighters responding to a reported fire in the area of Central Avenue and North End Boulevard around 2 a.m. found heavy flames tearing through Michael’s Oceanfront Motel. The blaze also spread to four residential buildings. All of the structures were reduced to a charred pile of rubble and deemed a total loss. Multiple homes in the area were also damaged. Video from the scene showed the structures collapsing to the ground as more than 100 firefighters from several area communities doused the fire with water. “Our top priority throughout the night was to protect the surrounding community from a large and growing fire that was being pushed toward other structures by high wind conditions,” Salisbury Fire Chief Scott Carrigan said.