The Waldoboro Fire Department quickly knocked the main fire down and worked to extinguish the rest of the blaze at 825 Washington Rd. in the early evening hours of Monday, Feb. 8. (Alexander Violo photo)
Firefighters from a half-dozen fire departments extinguished a house fire on Washington Road in Waldoboro the afternoon of Monday, Feb. 8.
The Waldoboro Fire Department was joined by crews from Friendship, Thomaston, Union, Warren, and Washington. All crews fought wintry weather conditions to reach the location of the fire at 825 Washington Road.
Lincoln County Communications initially paged the Waldoboro Fire Department for a mattress fire inside a residence shortly before 4 p.m.
According to a press release from the Waldoboro Fire Department, the occupants of the home, Marlene and Irville Luce, were able to get out safely.
Waldoboro Fire Chief Paul Smeltzer said when he arrived he saw heavy smoke coming from the structure and called for mutual aid.
Smeltzer said the main fire was quickly knocked down and emergency crews worked to extinguish extensions of the fire, starting on the first floor and moving up to the second floor of the home, through the late afternoon and early evening hours.
According to the department’s press release, an initial attack was made in the room where the fire originated and crews quickly discovered the fire had spread to the second floor of the structure.
The fire was extinguished around 6:30 p.m. and firefighters cleared the scene at 7:55 p.m.
According to the press release, heavy fire damage was contained to the main house with smoke, heat, and water damage occurring in other portions of the structure.
Waldoboro Emergency Medical Services and the Waldoboro Police Department also responded to the scene.
Smeltzer said the Maine State Fire Marshal’s Office was en route to the scene Monday evening to investigate the cause of the fire. The fire marshal’s office did not return a message seeking information about the investigation.
Two of the couple’s three dogs made it out safely; one dog was lost in the fire.
Washington Road was shut down throughout the firefighting effort.
The fire chief said no firefighters were injured battling the fire.
Smeltzer said he was pleased with the work of his department and the crews from other towns, adding that weather and road conditions posed a challenge in battling the structure fire.
“I wish the weather was a little better so our department and our mutual-aid partners could have arrived quicker, but we were still able to get a timely response,” Smeltzer said.
