As the holiday blizzard of 2010 was coming to a close, a late night burglary and fire caused extensive damage to Huber’s Market on Rt. 1 in Wiscasset Dec. 27.
The cause of the fire was officially determined as arson by the State Fire Marshal’s Office (SFMO) Dec. 28.
At approximately 10:22 p.m. a passing motorist on Rt. 1 witnessed smoke coming from the market and contacted Wiscasset Fire Chief Rob Bickford who had the structure fire under control by 11:01 p.m.
According to the Sgt. Ken Grimes of the SFMO, the “incendiary” fire started in the basement of the store and with an “intentional human element” present.
Huber’s Market owner Kyle Yacoben, who had closed the store at 7 p.m. because of the inclement weather, said the front door had been “smashed” and money was taken from the cash register.
While a formal inventory has not been completed, Yacoben suspects more items may have been stolen including lottery tickets, tobacco, and alcohol.
“My office was ransacked; there was considerable destruction,” he said in comments to The Lincoln County News.
The intruders also attempted to open a safe but were unable to negotiate the lock, said Yacoben.
The market, considered a local institution in Lincoln County, currently employs roughly 10 full- and part time employees who will be temporarily out of work.
Yacoben had purchased the market January 2007 from founder Gordon Huber and was preparing to celebrate his fourth anniversary as owner.
He said there had been two previous robberies at the store but nothing as violent or malicious as this.
Due to the ongoing investigation, Yacoben was unable to determine exactly when he could reopen Huber’s but vowed to rebuild.
“We’re very lucky because we had insurance. It’s a shock but we’ll get back on track, hopefully soon,” he said.
The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office and Wiscasset Police Dept. are currently investigating the incident.
Anyone with any information concerning the burglary and arson are urged to contact the Wiscasset Police Dept. at 882-8203.
