A blocked up chimney pipe sparked a fire in the addition of a mobile home on Fox Road off Rt. 17 in Jefferson around midnight Wednesday. Firefighters from Jefferson, Whitefield, Somerville, Washington and Windsor responded to the scene shortly after the call.
Bethany Abour has been living in the trailer with her three sons, ages 9, 12, and 15. Abour’s grandmother, Rebecca Hanscom, who lives next door, credits her 15-year-old grandson’s quick thinking for saving the family home. When the fire broke out shortly before midnight, Hanscom’s grandson ran to her residence and told her what was happening.
Possible blockage caused the pipe attached to the stove to overheat, said Jefferson Fire Chief Sheridan Bond. The overheated pipe ignited the board where the pipe went through the wall. Bond said the fire was contained within the addition.
Firefighters brought a line into the property from the road, 1000 feet away, while the Waldoboro Fire Dept. covered the Jefferson Fire and Rescue station. Bond said firefighters made a quick attack.
“We had a lot of good cooperation from mutual aid towns,” he said.
No one was injured in the blaze. Abour and her three sons spent the night in her grandmother’s mobile home, 150 feet away. The stove was their only source of heat. Bond estimated the damage to the trailer to be no more than $1000, but the residence was uninsured, he said. The American Red Cross has contacted the family, he said. Firefighters cleared the scene around 1:30 a.m.
Hanscom said the family is trying to close up the burned out addition before rain gets in and causes more damage. She said she is thankful for the quick response of volunteer firefighters from so many communities and credits them for saving her granddaughter’s home.
“They need a good pat on the back,” she said. “The town can be proud of them.”
She said there are now five children and four adults living in her four bedroom trailer. Her daughter is trying to get some help repairing the damage. Interested parties may contact the family at 549-3178.
