Area firefighters battled an intense blaze on Chewonki Neck Road in Wiscasset for around four hours Feb. 26.
At press time, the cause of the fire remains under investigation. However, according to a press release from Wiscasset Fire Chief Rob Bickford, eyewitnesses in the building at the time reported seeing workers conducting welding work on a vehicle when it suddenly caught fire.
When firefighters arrived, the structure was “heavily involved” in fire, Bickford said. The building, which served as both a vehicle storage and the office of Twin City Lock and Key, was destroyed in the inferno, according to Bickford. Six vehicles were stored inside the building at the time.
“The building and its contents are believed to be a total loss,” Bickford said.
No injuries were reported among any of the occupants of the building or the firefighters on scene. Eight towns provided mutual aid and assistance to Wiscasset, Bickford said: Alna, Bath, Dresden, Edgecomb, Newcastle, Westport Island, and Woolwich.
In a telephone interview Feb. 28, Bickford praised the emergency service workers who assisted at the scene.
“They proved once again why they’re the best around,” he said.
According to Bickford’s press release, during the fire, a 275-gallon fuel oil tank was found to have ruptured, causing 100 gallons of fuel oil to spill out and onto the grounds surrounding the foundation of the building. A representative from the Maine Dept. of Environmental Protection surveyed the scene Feb. 27 to assess the environmental impact.
Since the DEP’s site review, the oil around the building has since been pumped or dug out, Bickford said.
