FAYETTE – A man escaped serious injury Wednesday night when he awoke to find his house on fire. He was able to get out, but suffered minor burns, a fire official said.

The fire destroyed Alan Wilson’s small one-story house at 78 Shore Road and all of his belongings, fire Chief Ron McLallen said Thursday. The road is located off Sandy River Road, which is off Route 41 in West Mount Vernon.

Wilson, who told officials he had been asleep, woke up to find the place was on fire, the chief said. He fled the burning building and went to a neighbor’s house to call in the fire, McLallen said.

Wilson was burned on his face, and his eyebrows and hair were singed, the chief said.

About 50 firefighters from Fayette, Manchester, Mount Vernon, Readfield, Vienna and Wayne responded to the 8:30 p.m. fire call. The first firefighter arrived on the scene within 5 minutes but the house was fully engulfed in flames, McLallen said.

About 10 trucks either responded to the fire or stood by at fire stations of the departments fighting the fire to protect those towns, McLallen said.

Chesterville Fire Department stood by at the Vienna station.

Winthrop Ambulance medics checked Wilson over at the scene but he declined to taken to the hospital, McLallen said.

The American Red Cross was called to help Wilson with his needs, including clothing, the chief said. He didn’t even have any shoes on when he escaped from the fire, McLallen said. Wilson is staying with friends for now.

The chief was back investigating at the scene Thursday to try to determine the cause, but it remained unknown that afternoon, McLallen said.

He said he didn’t know if Wilson, described as a middle-aged man, had insurance.

Firefighters were lucky the woods were so wet and it was not like last week when there were heavy winds because the fire would have spread, McLallen said.

“The fire stayed right there,” he said.