LEWISTON – Residents scurried from their apartments with pets, clothes and other items Thursday as flames rolled through a Sabattus Street tenement building.

The fire, believed to have been caused by wax left melting in a pot on the stove, left five families homeless.

Firefighters braved a series of small explosions as they began to attack flames spreading through a second floor apartment at 116 Sabattus St. The blasts later proved to be the result of firecrackers inside the burning apartment.

The 4:45 p.m. blaze forced police to close off several blocks to traffic as fire and rescue crews responded to the scene.

Neighbors reported the blaze after gray smoke began pouring from a second floor window of the three-story building. A cat perished in the blaze, but several dogs, at least one turtle and other cats were spared.

Police who responded helped evacuate the tenants of the burning building and another apartment house next door.

“There were a lot of people trying to get their pets out of there,” said police Officer Ray Roberts, who helped with the evacuation.

The six-unit apartment building is located between Nichols and Wood streets. Police blocked off that section of Sabattus Street as well as parts of Shawmut and other streets as fire crews attacked the flames.

Officials said the blaze started in the second floor apartment occupied by Tony Bonito Jr., who lived there with his girlfriend and son. They had gone out shopping shortly before the fire began.

Mikel Tabor said he came to the scene from Auburn after learning that Bonito’s apartment was on fire. The 23-year-old drove across the Longely Bridge through late day traffic to see if his friend was all right.

“I could see the smoke from the bridge,” Tabor said.

Bonito had a pit bull mix inside the apartment along with four cats, fire officials said.

“It appears three of the cats escaped. One of them didn’t make it,” said Lewiston fire investigator Paul Ouellette.

A half hour after firefighters began battling the fire, smoke began pouring from a third floor apartment above the source of the flames. Firefighters sawed into the roof of the building to help ventilate smoke.

The fire was under control within an hour but crews remained on the scene to snuff out hot spots. An investigation was under way soon after.

By 7 p.m., most of the tenants were allowed to re-enter their apartments to carry out pets, clothes and other items. It will be days before they are allowed to return for good.

“Everyone got out safely, that’s the main thing,” said Neil Difazio, manager and part-owner of the building. “The Red Cross is helping out and we’ll find housing for the tenants.”

In all, 17 people were left homeless as a result of the blaze. Seven of them are children, Ouellette said. Bonito’s apartment and all contents were destroyed. Overall damage to the building, co-owned by Travis Soule of New Gloucester, was estimated at $50,000.

Difazio had a crew on scene ready to nail plywood over windows and secure the building in other ways once investigators and tenants were out of the tenement.

State Fire Marshal’s Office Investigator Dan Roy Jr. assisted Ouellette with the investigation, although the fire was determined to be accidental. Bonito was given a warning about possessing firecrackers.
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