RANGELEY — A fire that started from improperly disposed ashes destroyed two sheds on Spruce Street, off Route 4, on Saturday night.
No one was injured and damage was estimated at about $20,000 to the shed and contents, fire Chief Tim Pellerin said Monday.
The fire was accidental and caused by improper disposal of wood stove ashes, he said.
Firefighters saved a two-story house about 8 feet away, he said. The property is near Haines Landing.
The owner, Robert F. Wetherbee, 72, told firefighters that his dog was restless and he took it outside. He saw the two utility sheds on fire and reported it at 10:29 p.m.
One shed was approximately 10 by 10 feet and the other, about 15 by 20 feet.
When firefighters arrived, approximately 12 minutes after the call, the two sheds were fully engulfed in flames and the fire was spreading to the log cabin, Pellerin said.
A total of 35 firefighters from Rangeley, Eustis and Phillips responded to the scene, while firefighters from Salem Township stood by at the Rangeley Fire Station.
“Our main goal when we arrived was to save the house,” Pellerin said. “The sheds were already lost.”
Firefighters laid approximately 1,000 feet of hose to draft water from Mooselookmeguntic Lake. Some people at the lake helped firefighters set up the hoses.
The fire entered the house through the eaves board, he said. There was some damage to the exterior walls and the fire melted the meter box, he said.
There was minimum damage to one interior wall. All personal belongings in the house were saved.
Firefighters put covers over the belongings, he said.
A thermal-imaging camera was used to detect where the fire was in the house. It was found quickly and extinguished, he said.
The owner was appreciative of firefighters saving the belongings and the house, he said. He had no insurance.
It was a quick rapid response, and the crews worked well together to save the cabin, he said.
“I’m just real happy with the job they did,” Pellerin said.
The owner and a friend stayed at a friend’s house. They will move back in this week once the electrical system and the windows are fixed, he said.
dperry@sunjournal.com
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- Two sheds on Spruce Street in Rangeley were destroyed by fire Saturday night, fire Chief Tim Pellerin said. There were no injuries.
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