Structure fires keep western Maine firefighters busy overnight

Jan. 06--FRYEBURG -- It was a busy night for fire departments in western Maine as structure fires in Fryeburg and Brownfield damaged two homes, leaving a man and six dogs homeless.

Fryeburg firefighters responded to a structure fire at 39 Briggs Lane at approximately 11:15 Tuesday night. By the time they arrived on the scene, fire had broken through the roof of the two-story single-family residence.

Fire Chief Ozzie Sheaff said the fire, which likely resulted from an improperly installed wood stove, was under control by approximately 11:57 p.m., but not before the home sustained extensive fire, smoke and water damage.

Michael Benedict rented and lived in the home with six dogs, four of which were puppies, said Sheaff. All of the occupants made it safely out of the home. Sheaff said the Red Cross helped Benedict find a place to stay and the Fryeburg Veterinary Hospital provided temporary housing for the dogs.

Sheaff said the structure is still standing, but is uninhabitable after the fire. Sheaff said he is waiting to hear from the home's owner, who lives in Massachusetts, and is unsure if the building was insured or if the tenant had renter's insurance.

The Saco Valley Fire Association and East Conway Fire Department assisted with the fire.

As Fryeburg firefighters were just clearing the scene at approximately 2:30 a.m., they received a call for assistance from Brownfield to respond to a structure fire in that town.

Brownfield's Assistant Fire Chief Don Dunham was covering for Brownfield's regular fire chief, who was out-of-town in Michigan to retrieve a new fire truck for his department, when the call came in reporting a chimney fire at a two-story, single-family residence at 277 Pequawket Trail.

The fire had spread to an interior wall by the time crews arrived on the scene, according to Dunham.

A family of four escaped without injuries and were able to return to the home after crews quickly extinguished the fire with minimal damage to the structure. Dunham said there was a 24-by-24-inch burn on an interior wall and no other damage by the time firefighters had the fire under control, which took about a half hour.

The situation could have been much worse, especially since the chimney fire managed to spread to the structure, said Dunham, warning wood stove users, "Make sure you inspect your chimney at least on a monthly basis and clean as needed."

Besides Fryeburg, the Denmark Fire Department also assisted Brownfield.

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