An accidental malfunction of the electrical system in the home at 9 Chickering Rd. in Nobleboro appears to be the cause of the fire, which gutted the building on Sept. 16, according to Sgt. Ken Grimes of the State Fire Marshal’s Office.
The fire appears to have started inside a wall bay in the children’s room where there was an outlet, Grimes said Sept. 17
The home, then a residence of Becki Giberson and two children, is a total loss but no one was inside the building at the time of the fire, according to Nobleboro Fire Chief Ryan Gallagher.
At about 2:35 p.m., Charlie and Ann Chiarchiaro, neighbors of Giberson, were driving past the house when Ann noticed smoke coming out of the house.
Charlie Chiarchiaro said he told Ann to call 911, and ran into the kitchen of the house to see if anyone was inside.
“I yelled and yelled; I wanted to make sure nobody was home,” he said.
Chiarchiaro said he grabbed a rug off the floor of the kitchen, and was blown off his feet as he left the building. He soaked the rug in a nearby puddle, and then covered the propane tank alongside the home with the rug after turning the tank off.
“It was a blessing no one was there, because they would not have gotten out of this house,” Chiarchiaro said.
Gallagher said the blaze was under control by about 3:30 p.m., but the home was a total loss. Firefighters were on the scene until around 7 p.m. cleaning up and ensuring the building was safe for investigators, he said Sept. 17.
Fire departments from Nobleboro, Newcastle, Damariscotta, and Bremen responded to the fire and were assisted by Bristol Fire Department, Gallagher said. Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office and Central Lincoln County Ambulance also responded to the scene.
Friends of the family have established a fund for donations the Camden National Bank, 4 Coastal Market Drive, Damariscotta. Donations may be submitted to the Giberson Fire Fund either in person, or by mail, c/o Camden National Bank, PO Box 37 Damariscotta, 04543.
For more information about the fire fund, call Jessica Day at 563-8223.
