POLAND – Experts swear lightning doesn’t strike the same place twice. Homeowner Bruce Morris Jr. might disagree after fire ripped through the second floor of his Poland Corner Road home – which was broken into only weeks before.

The 36-year-old Iraq war veteran huddled inside his garage with family Sunday evening as fire crews from Poland and Mechanic Falls remained on the scene after battling the late-afternoon blaze that destroyed much of the second story of his home.

“This particular building – the way it’s configured – has a lot of hidden spaces and void areas,” said Poland fire Chief Willie Rice. “We had to pull a lot of sheet rock off to look for hidden fires.”

Investigators determined that a loose electrical connection was to blame for the accidental fire, Rice said, adding that early estimates put damages in the neighborhood of $40,000 to $45,000.

Nearly 30 firefighters from Poland and Mechanic Falls responded to the 4:34 p.m. call at the two-story, three-bedroom home that sets back several hundred feet from the road. Rice said a passer-by noticed smoke coming from the woods and drove directly to the fire department. Crews worked to control the blaze upstairs while covering items on the first floor in an effort to protect them from water damage.

“There are a lot of tasks we try to do simultaneously to minimize the damage,” Rice said, adding that fast action on behalf of the firefighters helped salvage most items on the first floor.

Morris had returned home Dec. 19 to discover thieves stole firearms, money and all his daughter’s Christmas gifts. Sunday evening, friends called him at his brother’s home to tell him his house was on fire.

“The support was incredible from that first article,” Morris said of a newspaper story about the thefts as he watched smoke billow from the roof of his home.

Morris said he was in the middle of remodeling the second floor of his home, which he moved into in April 2006. He added that one very special set of items that firefighters weren’t able to recover were his 14-year-old daughter’s giraffe collection, which he was storing upstairs while he put finishing touches on the teen’s downstairs bedroom.

Trying to remain positive about his streak of bad luck, Morris simply shook his head and said he was most thankful that no one was hurt in the blaze.

To help: Anyone interested in helping Bruce Morris should contact Wayne or Cindy at 998-3311.