PARIS – No one was injured in the two-alarm fire that started late Tuesday morning and destroyed a mobile home at 339 High St. owned by the town’s assistant fire chief.
The two-bedroom house, built in 1985, is owned by Assistant Fire Chief William “Willy” Buffington. Buffington rented the home to Bobby Boyd, who said Tuesday he had been with his girlfriend Monday night and had not been home since about 6 p.m. Monday.
The fire was called in at 10:49 a.m., according to Paris Fire Chief Brad Frost. The town’s Fire Department arrived on the scene five minutes later, and Norway’s department arrived shortly after that.
West Paris’s department provided backup at the Paris fire station.
Firefighters from both departments fought the blaze from positions at the front and rear of the house. “We have two hoses in there, in the front and back doors,” Frost said.
Frost said that when he arrived at the scene, “heavy smoke and heavy flames” could be seen through the front door, which leads into the living room.
By 11:30, firefighters had extinguished the blaze, but several firefighters remained inside the home putting out smoldering hot spots.
Frost said state fire marshal Rick Shepard was investigating the cause of the fire.
Buffington said the home was “totaled,” and that instead of trying to repair the damage, he would replace the home completely. He estimated the cost of the structure to be around $62,000.
“I do have insurance,” Buffington said.
Boyd said he did not lose a great deal of personal property in the fire. “Just a few guns and a TV is basically all I had” in there, he said.
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