Fire destroys Easton garage
Staff photo/Kathy McCarty
FIREFIGHTERS STRUGGLED with equipment and the heat on May 8 as crews from three departments fought a garage fire on the Bangor Road in Easton. An unseasonably warm day and high winds made for exhausting conditions, with thick smoke making for poor visibility. At left, Easton Fire Chief Kim White carries bottles of water to firefighters from Mars Hill, at center, and Easton, at right.
Staff photo/Kathy McCarty
TEAMWORK — A Presque Isle firefighter, at left, assists members of the Easton department, at right, in tackling a May 8 blaze at a garage on the Bangor Road.
By Kathy McCarty
Staff Writer
EASTON — Sparks from a grinder were deemed to be the cause of a fire May 8 on the Bangor Road that destroyed a garage owned by Jan Larson.
“We received a call around 4:45 p.m. indicating there was a structure fire on the Bangor Road. The fire spread quickly due to high winds,” said Easton Fire Chief Kim White.
White said the owner was doing some work in the garage when the fire broke out.
“Mr. Larson was using a sidewheel grinder. Sparks ignited some wood and quickly spread. The bottom portion of the building was used as a garage and the property owner was in the process of constructing a home on the second floor. The family were planning to move in later this summer,” said White.
White indicated Larson and his family were still living in their home which was just feet away from the garage.
“They were lucky the fire didn’t spread to their house. If the wind had been blowing the other way, I don’t think we would have been able to save the home,” said White.
White said the garage was not insured and that the owner lost everything stored inside.
“He lost a couple antique vehicles, tools, equipment and items one would normally store in a garage,” said the chief.
Easton received mutual aid from the Mars Hill and Presque Isle fire departments, Crown Ambulance and the Maine Forest Service.
“Forest Ranger Steve Wipperman came to assist with a grass fire. The wind caused flames to spread quickly to grass and was making its way to the tree line. Steve handled that for us. It burned about an acre,” said White.
No injuries were reported as a result of the blaze, although heat did affect firefighters.
“We had a few firefighters who suffered heat exhaustion. Between the heat from the blaze and the day’s temperature (which was recorded in the low 80s), it made for a warm situation for all involved,” said White. “Weather is a big factor.”
Thick smoke that created poor visibility and heat made it difficult for crews, whose heavy gear made it extremely hot. White and others on scene helped keep firefighters hydrated by handing out drinking water.
“There was drinking water available at one of the trucks for those who were able to take a break. I also handed out water to firefighters who were closer to the fire and unable to leave their positions,” said White.
This marks the third time this year Easton firefighters have responded to a structure fire. A fire destroyed a home on the Richardson Road Jan. 29 and claimed the lives of two brothers. A fire Feb. 8 left a family homeless when fire took their house on Bear Trap Road.
“Weather has really made for difficult conditions to fight a fire. The two earlier this year we had extreme cold to deal with. The latest one, we had heat making it tough. The last year and a half, Easton’s had an awful string of fires. I hope this is the last one for a long time,” said White.
Fire officials were hoping recent showers would help dampen things enough to lesson the chance of wildfires. While firefighters were on scene in Easton, their Canadian counterparts were battling a wildfire just across the border in Perth-Andover, New Brunswick. Individuals traveling toward Fort Fairfield or Easton on May 8 could see heavy gray smoke as it drifted toward the U.S. border.
Most fire departments in northern Maine had issued a “no burn” statement, effective until further notice, due to the increased risk of fires from the dry conditions. For more information on current conditions and where to obtain a burn permit, call your local fire department.
