AUBURN — Traffic on northbound and southbound lanes of Washington Street was detoured while firefighters and police responded to a fire in a mobile home at the Washington Street Trailer Park on Sunday night.

The fire was discovered by neighbors when they were alerted by a loud “pop” and looked over and saw smoke billowing out of the trailer’s roof and furnace pipe.

David Harrington, of 37 Washington Road, rushed over and turned the power off from the main breaker, which was on the outside of the trailer. Another neighbor and neice of the homeowner, Sara LeClair, called the Fire Department. 

“It was smoking inside and (smoke) was coming out of the roof and furnace pipe,” Harrington said.

The owner of the mobile home, Tom LeClair, had not been living there, Harrington said.

“The fire originated on the inside,” Auburn police Sgt. Steve Gosselin said. One of his officers also heard a pop, he said, adding that the furnace was not on. The home was vacant at the time.

After firefighters forced entry through the front door, they saw a fire in the kitchen, which they quickly knocked down.

Firefighters exposed the walls and ceiling in that area. There was fire in the cabinets and the walls, according to Auburn Fire Department Battalion Chief Don Flanigan. Firefighters had the fire knocked down in a couple minutes, he said. The trailer was then searched and confirmed to be empty, he said.

The fire is still under investigation, but has not been deemed suspicious, Flanigan said. The cause has yet to be determined.

Auburn police officers and 14 firefighters responded to the scene along with two engines, a ladder truck and two rescue vehicles from Auburn. One engine from Lewiston Fire Department was on standby, Flanigan said. Other Auburn police officers directed traffic on Washington Street and gave directions when needed for the detour.