Fifty-one firefighters from nine towns put out a March 11 fire at a Round Pond house after six hours of steady labor.
The house suffered extensive damage, but the homeowner’s insurance provider will ultimately determine whether it is a total loss, Bristol Fire Chief Paul Leeman said.
At press time, the cause of the fire is under investigation by the state fire marshal’s office. According to Leeman, the investigation is focusing on the “chimney area” on the first floor.
The house, north of the intersection of Coates Road and Rt. 32 in Round Pond village, belongs to Richard “Rick” Wahle and Carol Lariviere.
The Bristol Fire Dept. received a call at 10:02 a.m. after a passerby reported smoke coming from the eaves of the house, Leeman said.
During the late morning, firefighters, working in shifts, fought the fire from the front entrance, a second floor overhang and the roof, using a chainsaw and other tools to break windows and ventilate the upper floor.
Twenty-two Bristol firefighters and 29 reinforcements from seven towns – Bremen, Damariscotta, Jefferson, Newcastle, South Bristol, Waldoboro and Wiscasset – responded to the scene. The Nobleboro Fire Dept. stood by at the Bristol Mills fire station.
One firefighter, transported to Miles Memorial Hospital for exhaustion, was treated and released, Leeman said. He described the transport as a precautionary measure.
Leeman hailed the ultimate success of the crews as a “countywide effort.” Despite a scene of “organized chaos,” the firefighters, thanks to consistent, countywide training, stuck to the “incident command system,” resulting, finally, in the extinguishing of the fire, he said.
The Damariscotta Police Dept. and the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office provided traffic support. Central Maine Power also responded to the scene.