Fire destroys Lamoine home

LAMOINE — A fire Wednesday afternoon destroyed a home on Walker Road but did not result in any injuries, according to a local fire official.

The homeowner, John Karst, was working in the woods behind the house when the fire was reported by a neighbor a few minutes before 1 p.m., Lamoine Assistant Fire Chief Stu Marckoon said Thursday.

Firefighters initially thought someone may have been inside the house but quickly determined no one was, according to Marckoon. After the fire was reported, a local firefighter who was working on building a house across the street arrived at the scene within seconds and determined no one was in the building, he said.

Marckoon said that the initial investigation indicates a kerosene heater in the basement may have ignited clothing that was on top of a nearby appliance, but the state fire marshal’s office has yet to confirm how the fire started.

“The house is not habitable and will have to be demolished,” Marckoon said.

The Pine Tree Chapter of the Red Cross put up Karst, his wife, Lynn, and their daughter at an area hotel Wednesday night, he said.

Marckoon said firefighters from the surrounding towns of Ellsworth, Hancock and Trenton also helped extinguish the fire.