A fire on Saturday destroyed a Palmyra home, displacing a family of six and killing multiple pets, according to Maine Public Safety spokesperson Shannon Moss.
Firefighters responded to a structure fire on Lang Hill Road at around 8 p.m. Saturday. Due to the extent of the fire, responders used an excavator during suppression and overhaul operations, Moss said. The fire displaced four adults and two children.
Investigators believe the fire started in a second-floor bedroom, within a wall space that contained old wiring or a power strip, but the official cause is undetermined because of the extent of damage, according to Moss.
Two dogs, two rabbits, two parakeets and one chicken died in the fire, and three cats are unaccounted for, Moss said.
The Palmyra fire was one of five the state fire marshal’s office investigated over the weekend.
Investigators responded to a fire at Pleasant Point Reservation in Washington County on Sunday that was caused by a 3-year-old playing with a lighter.
On Friday, the fire marshal’s office also responded to a blaze in the Oxford County town of Denmark, where the homeowner and two tenants were able to escape before the fire destroyed the building. The homeowner was treated for a minor burn injury, and a firefighter was injured after falling on ice and was transported to a nearby hospital. Preliminary findings indicated the fire may have started from an electrical panel or a wall-mounted electric heater.
On Saturday, the state fire marshal’s office responded to a garage fire in Oxford and a house fire in Anson caused by a kitchen stove malfunctioning.
