LEWISTON — The morning after a fire damaged Kaydenz Kitchen Food Pantry at 551 Lincoln St., the organization’s operator said the focus has already shifted to cleanup and rebuilding.

“We’re probably not going to be able to salvage much depending on the smoke damage and water damage,” Kevin Boilard said Wednesday. “But at the same time, we’re going to try and be as resourceful as we can.”

Fire crews responded to the pantry Tuesday afternoon for reports of an explosion and flames from a burning vehicle that spread to the building nearby.

A woman suffered burns not considered life-threatening and was transported to Central Maine Medical Center. The unnamed woman remained in the hospital as of Wednesday, according to Maine Public Safety spokesperson Shannon Moss.

Ultimately, two vehicles were destroyed in the blaze.

Officials said everyone inside the building at the time of the fire was accounted for and no other injuries were reported.

The fire burned through a section of the building where two wings meet, making damage assessment and cleanup a considerable effort.

Boilard said crews worked late into the night securing the building and preparing for cleanup.

“We had people working here until midnight closing up the building, closing up the roof to secure the building,” he said.

Morning work involved pulling damaged items and debris out of the building. Local business owners reached out offering dump trailers and other help, Boilard said.

The extent of the damage is still being assessed, but Boilard said he and staff are already focusing on how to recover as quickly as possible. Many of the items stored in the building were being collected for the new homeless shelter under renovation on Horton Street.

“Some might consider it a hopeless effort, but at the same time, you do what you can when you can,” he said. “We can sit back and dwell on why or what if, but we have a community that depends on us — we have a lot of service providers, clients, volunteers in the community that rely on this resource. It’s part of their day-to-day life, so we have a significant responsibility ahead of us to get our feet back on the ground and rebuild better, stronger and kind of show that resilience we’ve shown throughout the years.”

Boilard declined to comment on the cause of the fire and put his faith in investigators whom he expects will be able to “get to the bottom of it.” 

The building housed the former Schemengees Bar & Grille. Kaydenz Kitchen moved into the location just over a year after a mass shooting at the restaurant on Oct. 25, 2023.

Investigators from the Office of State Fire Marshal continue working with Lewiston fire officials to establish the cause of the fire.

Staff Photographer Russ Dillingham contributed to this story.