PHILLIPS — About 50 firefighters from six towns fought a fire Wednesday at a large farmhouse at 38 Park St., saving the main house but having to tear down ells and additions to get at the flames.

No one was injured in the afternoon blaze, Phillips fire Chief James Gould said.

The fire burned up by a chimney and extended into the walls and eves of an ell  and garage, he said. The farmhouse, at the corner of Blake Street, is owned by Ruth Repucci, who was home when the fire began.

A passer-by stopped to tell Repucci there was smoke coming from the chimney, Gould said. She checked and called 911, but she didn’t see anything, he said.

It’s a good thing she did, he said.

The farmhouse had four or five additions on it, he said, which made it difficult for firefighters to get at the flames. Jerry Haines of Avon brought in an excavator to remove ells and additions from the main house, Gould said.

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It is structurally sound but sustained smoke and water damage, he said. Firefighters put salvage tarps on as much furniture and personal belongings as possible to try and preserve them, Gould said.

Fire departments from Phillips, Strong, Salem Township, Kingfield, New Vineyard and Farmington responded with about 10 trucks to the scene.

The fire call came in about 2:15 p.m.

“We only had two firefighters in town,” Gould said, who was in Rangeley at the time.

The fire is still under investigation, he said. Phillips firefighters planned to have crews stay on the scene throughout the night.

Gould said they would be at the site Thursday to try and determine the cause.

dperry@sunjournal.com


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