Staff Writer
Members of the Caribou Fire and Ambulance Department received a call just after 9 a.m. on Friday, March 19, regarding a fire at the Dead River company location at 11 Birdseye Avenue.
Aroostook Republican photo/Barb Scott
Caribou firefighters pull insulation out of the ceiling at the Dead River Company location on Birdseye Avenue, March 19, after a fire started as a result of a faulty exhaust fan. Firefighters were able to extinguish the fire, preventing a potentially disastrous blaze that easily could have erupted due to the fuel and gasoline storage tanks outside of the building.
According to Caribou Fire Chief Roy Woods, the cause of the fire was a faulty exhaust fan in one of the company’s washbays. “The fire spread through the wall and up into the attic area,” said Woods. “This held huge potential for a very serious fire,” continued Chief Woods, “considering all of the fuel and gas storage tanks outside behind the building. I commend our men for an excellent stop,” added Woods. He also recognized the Caribou Police Department for their good work regarding traffic control.
The Caribou Fire and Ambulance Department were at the Dead River site for one hour and 40 minutes. Thirty personnel with seven units responded to the call and Chief Woods stated there were no injuries sustained. Woods also estimated the damage to the Birds Eye Avenue property to be $4,000.
