Mechanic Falls pastor says Christian camp fire a major loss

Aug. 23--A Mechanic Falls pastor who is president of a Knox County campground said the Monday night fire that destroyed five buildings is a major loss, but no one was injured.

The fire at the Washington Advent Christian Camp destroyed a dormitory, the dining hall and kitchen building and three camps.

The State Fire Marshal's Office said the fire originated in the two-story dormitory that served as a boarding house. The exact location of where the fire began could not be determined because of the destruction.

Darrell Young, pastor of the Mechanic Falls Advent Christian Church and president of the Washington Advent Christian Campground, said the camp's annual two-week retreat for children and teens the first two weeks of August had ended, so there were no children or adults there Monday night.

"Normally, we have 9- to 12-year-olds attend the camp during the first week of August, and high school students the second week of August," Young said. "There's also a family camp that goes on at the same time that offers church services and Bible studies. Fortunately, both of those retreats were complete, so there was nobody there during the fire."

Youths and adults from Androscoggin, Oxford and other counties attend the camp, which is one of five Advent Christian Campgrounds in Maine.

Washington Fire Chief Phil Meunier said the first call came in just after 7:30 p.m. Monday, and local firefighters responded quickly because they were participating in a training session nearby.

He said the crews did a fantastic job of stopping the fire, pointing out that there are about 50 cabins on the grounds, most about 3 feet apart. He said trying to put out the fire was difficult initially because there were downed power lines and the crews had to wait for Central Maine Power to turn off the electricity.

Nobody was injured in the fire, Meunier said.

Young said that the campground's first step is to work with the insurance company to find out how much the buildings were insured for.

"I'm only in the early dealings with the insurance companies, but I'm finding out that we were grossly underinsured," Young said. "Hopefully, we'll learn from our mistakes moving forward."

The fire destroyed the camp's main dining hall, a small children's chapel, and three small cottages, two of which were owned by the campground association, Young said. It also took the boarding house.

"There were around 20 rooms in that building," Young said. "If people were here for a retreat or for a meeting, they might stay in that building."

After dealing with the insurance companies, Young said the campground's priority will be to construct an operational dining hall.

"That's our first area of concentration," he said. "We have to feed the people who come here. We had a lot of restaurant-quality equipment in there that will need replacing."

As for the future, Young said the campground is going to take it one step at a time.

"I'm sure we're going to have fundraisers moving forward," Young said. "Right now, I'm just focusing on talking with the insurance company and seeing where we stand."

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