West Paris blaze levels retiree's wood shop

West Paris fire

West Paris fire

WEST PARIS — A noontime fire in West Paris leveled the wood shop of a local retiree, amounting to a loss of about $30,000.

Chief Norman St. Pierre of the West Paris Fire Department said that the Sumner Road blaze broke out around 11:57 a.m. Sunday in a trailer belonging to Melvin Wilson, father of the department's deputy fire chief, Clay Wilson. The trailer was located about 100 feet behind Wilson's home, which sustained no damage as a result of the fire.

St. Pierre said that more than 20 firefighters from West Paris, Paris, Woodstock and Greenwood fought the fire, which completely gutted the 1970s trailer. Firefighters had the blaze knocked down within a half-hour and completely out in less than two hours.

St. Pierre said that it is believed that the fire started in a wood stove in the trailer. He said that Wilson went out to the building shortly before the blaze broke out to get a fire started. He said the fire is not considered suspicious.

Wilson did not have insurance and lost not only the building, but all his equipment as a result of the fire. Among the equipment lost in the fire was a recently purchased lathe, several saws and table saws and other woodworking tools. St. Pierre said the structure was originally a rental property that Wilson recently renovated to house his woodworking shop.