POLAND – Firefighters saved a house on Herrick Valley Road Thursday, in large part because a nearby fire station was fully staffed.

The house at 296 Herrick Valley Road was damaged by heat and smoke but fire crews knocked down flames before they caused structural damage.

The man who lives there came home at about 5 p.m. to find his kitchen filled with smoke and immediately called for help.

“He opened the door and smoke basically blew him outside,” said fire Chief Mark Bosse. “He did the right thing. He closed the door, got out and called 911.”

When firefighters arrived, smoke was blowing from a fire that appeared to originate in the kitchen. Bosse and his crew were there moments later and knocked the fire down before it spread any further.

“We got there fast,” he said. “If we had taken any longer, it would have been a different story.”

Nobody was hurt in the fire and damage to the two-story, oversized ranch was minimal.

In Poland, the fire station is staffed between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m., meaning a full contingent was 5 miles away when the call came in from Herrick Valley Road.

“That definitely paid dividends,” Bosse said. “It was an outstanding job by the fire crew.”

Poland firefighters were assisted by others from Mechanic Falls and Minot.

Firefighters believe the blaze started accidentally in the kitchen of the home. The investigation into the cause was to continue on Friday.