About 50 firefighters from several departments help put out a fire Wednesday night at a three-story house at 10 Franklin St. in Livermore Falls. The fire was caused by a lithium battery pack used to charge remote control cars, Livermore Falls Fire Chief Nathan Guptill said. Donna M. Perry/Sun Journal

LIVERMORE FALLS — A lithium-ion battery pack used for remote control cars caused a fire Wednesday night that gutted a three-story house at 10 Franklin St., Fire Chief Nathan Guptill said.

The house on the dead-end road, across from Food City on Main Street and adjacent to Dunkin’, was occupied by two young men, Guptill said. No one was injured, he said.

They are the sons of owners Robert and Jacqueline Spencer, who own the property. One of the men called 911 to report the fire. Both got out of the house safely. Their names were not immediately available.

Guptill, who lives in Livermore, said that when came across the bridge over the Androscoggin River he saw flames coming out of the basement windows and heavy smoke coming out of the windows on the first floor.

Jay firefighters got into the first floor and Livermore Falls firefighters got into the basement to try and stop the fire.

About 50 firefighters responded from Jay, Livermore Falls, Livermore, Farmington and Fayette along with a rapid intervention team from Wilton. Turner Fire Department also assisted with firefighters certified in self-contained breathing air packs to relieve some of the firefighters who had been fighting the fire in frigid temperatures for a while.

Jay and Livermore Falls police shut down traffic on Main Street, also known as state Route 4. Livermore Falls Public Works workers sanded a parking lot and Livermore Falls Water District employees responded to assist with the fire hydrants. MaineHealth EMS ambulance personnel were also staged in the Food City parking lot.

No equipment froze up, Guptill said, which could have happened. His truck temperature read 9 degrees when he was on his way to the fire, which was reported at 7:51 p.m.

Firefighters protected another three-story house about 20 feet away from being damaged.

The house at 10 Franklin St. is uninhabitable, Guptill said.

“It’s gutted,” he said. “There is a lot of heat and smoke damage. There is also water damage to the first floor.”

The only damage on the exterior of the house was some melted vinyl siding near the basement, the chief said.

It took firefighters about five hours to clear the scene after checking for hot spots and other dangers.

Two investigators from the Office of State Fire Marshal, Guptill and other firefighters investigated the cause, which was determined to be a lithium battery pack in the basement, he said.

Firefighters have had training fighting fires started by lithium-ion batteries, Guptill said, but is a relatively new threat.

He recommended that people unplug their lithium battery packs, such as for a drill and other tools, and other battery packs, once the item is charged.

Livermore Falls is going through a town revaluation and the old valuation from 20 or so years ago listed at the Town Office is nearly $60,000 for the house and property, according to town representatives.