A Lamoine firefighter was treated for heat exhaustion Monday while battling a blaze in Ellsworth.
The blaze broke out at the Liberty Street home about 4:49 a.m., according to the Ellsworth Fire Department.
Crews from Mariaville, Hancock, Mount Desert, Southwest Harbor, Orland, Trenton and Lamoine rushed to assist Ellsworth firefighters.
When crews arrived, they discovered the home fully engulfed in flames. It was unoccupied at the time because of renovations.
The Ellsworth American reported that a Lamoine firefighter was treated for heat exhaustion.
Firefighters got the blaze under control just after 6 a.m., the Fire Department said.
The fire likely originated in a trash can filled with oily rags on the home’s front porch. Rags soaked with stains, varnishes, linseed oil and other combustible material can generate heat as the oil dries and oxidizes. If it can’t dissipate, that can generate heat and cause the rags to ignite.
People can avoid that by immediately soaking the rags in water and storing away from any structures.
