A two-story house in Bangor was destroyed when a fire enveloped the structure Thursday morning.
When crews arrived at 218 Elm St. just before 4 a.m. Thursday, both floors were “fully engulfed,” and the sides of the house were melting, Bangor Assistant Fire Chief Andrew Emery said. The fire also began spreading to houses on either side of the structure.
A couple and their daughter living in the home awoke to the smell of smoke coming from the backside of the house. They, along with their dog, managed to get out safely, he said.
It was the first major fire in Bangor since two garage fires in April, mainly because it burned for a while before help arrived. Usually firefighters arrive quickly after a fire is reported and with adequate resources to prevent it from “getting too big,” Emery said.
What set this fire apart is that it “had been burning potentially for an hour or more underneath the deck before anyone inside the house noticed it,” he said. “So it had a huge head start.”
Roughly 40 firefighters from seven departments fought the blaze for nearly three hours, declaring it “a total loss.” Two neighboring houses received damage to their vinyl siding and insulation, and an RV camper was also “significantly damaged,” Emery said.
Maine’s fire marshal’s office ruled that “improper disposal of smoking materials” caused the fire on the backside of the house, he said.
Loved ones are helping the family. Volunteers with the American Red Cross have also offered their services.
Bangor’s stations were prepared to operate in this week’s extreme heat and humidity, but the help of mutual aid partners made the difference in fighting this fire, Emery said.
“It was labor-intensive, and we were trying to keep people hydrated,” he said. “We’re thankful nobody suffered any heat exhaustion. That was mostly due to the number of firefighters we had that we could rotate.”
