Lewiston officials want to examine pictures taken at the scene.
LEWISTON – A fire that destroyed a Nob Hill Avenue home on Saturday was likely the result of arson, investigators said Monday. Lewiston police have joined an investigation into the blaze that left a family of six without a home.
Among evidence investigators would like to get their hands on are amateur photographs taken at the scene of the fire at 9 Nob Hill Ave.
“There were several people with cameras out there during the early part of the fire,” said Lewiston fire inspector Paul Ouellette. “Some of those photographs may be helpful to us.”
Investigators were saying little about how they believe the fire was set or how many points of origin they had found in the burned-out house.
A neighbor reported at about 3 p.m. Saturday that flames and smoke were rolling from the two-story house. By the time fire crews arrived, the home was fully engulfed.
Lewiston fire investigators were joined by an official from the Maine State Fire Marshal’s Office as a probe into the cause of the fire got under way.
Teams spent late Saturday and all of Sunday investigating the scene. Lewiston police detectives were also asked to assist in the investigation.
The couple who live in the house with their four children were not at home when the fire started, officials said. Their home and most of their belongings were destroyed by the time the fire was brought under control. Total damage was estimated at $250,000.
Nob Hill Avenue is off Webster Street, almost directly across from Scribner Boulevard.
Police were speaking with neighbors and others as part of the investigation. Anyone with information about the cause of the fire or possible suspects is asked to call Lewiston police Detective Marc Robitaille at 795-9000.
Ouellette said photographs of the fire scene may help investigators better understand how the fire spread throughout the house. He asked that anyone with such photos contact him at 784-5713 ext. 210.
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