LEWISTON — Fire officials will wait until Thursday to continue investigating a massive fire in Little Canada that burned three buildings Tuesday.
Lewiston Fire Inspector Paul Ouellette said inspectors and State Fire Marshal’s Office investigators were monitoring fireworks around Central Maine on Wednesday.
“It’s a holiday, but everybody is working,” Ouellette said. “Any update on the fire there will have to wait until Thursday.”
The fire involved a 12-unit, four-story apartment building at 32-34 River St., a 1 1/2-story, single-family home next door at 46 River St. and a third building that also appeared to house apartments.
The fire broke out shortly before 11 a.m. By 2 p.m., firefighters were focused on the four-story building whose roof had collapsed. The fire was declared to be “out” just before 5:30 p.m.
No injuries were reported. One firefighter was treated for heat exhaustion and released.
The fire appeared to have started outside 32-34 River St., possibly on a porch, according to unconfirmed reports. City records show the building was built in 1866. The neighboring 1 1/2-story building dates back to 1851, according to city records.
John Gravel of Turner, whose family owned the building, said they spent much of the July 4 holiday at the site.
“We’ll be there again tomorrow, but after that it’s up to the insurance adjuster,” he said.
Gravel’s parents, Monique and Hector, lived on the first floor of 32-34 River St., and two of his brothers also lived in the building.
“The roof is gone, four of the fourth-floor apartments are gone, so it’s pretty much going to be a total loss,” Gravel said.
staylor@sunjournal.com
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- Sonny Libby of Lewiston, a victim of the River Street apartment building fire, loads his belongings onto the back of a pickup truck Wednesday morning. Residents were able to retrieve salvageable possessions a day after flames destroyed or damaged three buildings.
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- Jessica Russell and Ron Rochette, friends of fire victim Tracey Benoit, help with the recovery of possessions from the River Street apartment building on Wednesday morning.
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- Karl Martin, a resident on the fourth floor of the River Street apartments in Lewiston, looks over the damage to the building Wednesday morning. Martin said he was not home when the fire broke out and believes he lost everything.
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- Tracy Benoit and her mother, Barbara Benoit, gather belongings across River Street from their burned-out apartment building in Lewiston on Wednesday.
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