A structure fire devastated a single family home on Abenaki Road in Edgecomb on Monday, June 3.
According to Edgecomb Fire Chief Roy Potter, firefighters were able extinguish the fire fairly quickly upon arrival but smoke and water damage to the home was significant.
Potter said homeowners Ed and Candy Crocker were not home at the time of the fire, which resulted in the deaths of a number of family pets. The American Red Cross representative responded the scene and helped address the family’s immediate needs.
Friends have set a GoFundMe page for the family‘s behalf. As of Wednesday, June 5, donations have exceeded $32,000, far surpassing the $25,000 goal.
According to Potter, Lincoln County’s mutual aid response system is to be credited for the rapid response. The Boothbay, Newcastle, Damariscotta, and Wiscasset fire departments were all paged to the scene around 5:45 p.m. June 3. Altogether, the departments contributed about 25 firefighters to the effort.
“Again mutual aid makes all the difference in the world,” Potter said.
“The Boothbay chief (David Pratt) was actually the first one on scene. He confirmed it was a structure fire. He was there first in their Engine 2. I came in right behind in Engine 4. We did a fast interior attack, and were able to knock the flames down right there in the kitchen.”
According to Potter, the findings of the Maine State Fire Marshal’s investigation indicates the likely cause was likely a dog inadvertently turning one of the stove burners on while jumping up, trying to access some food on the stove top.
Once turned on, the electric range burner ignited materials on the stove.
“Honestly it’s is a pretty common occurrence, pets getting on the stove, the knobs get hit,” Potter said. “The fire marshal said they recently had one that was upstate that was the same thing. Accidents happen. It was fortunate nobody was home but on the flip side …”
According to Potter’s information, fire victims include one dog, one guinea pig, and five cats. A bird was also lost in the blaze.
The fire did manage to burn into the second floor above the kitchen area but firefighters were able to extinguish the flames within 15 minutes of arrival. Potter said he was able to clear the scene before 11 p.m. Responders includes seven members of Edgecomb’s 12-person fire department, Potter said.
“I can’t stress enough the importance of the mutual aid system here in town,” Potter said. It’s incredible we all rely heavily on each other and it worked really well (Monday) night. Boothbay got there first because it is actually closer to their station.”
According to statements on the GoFundMe page, the Crockers are both very active in the community. Candie Crocker is a nurse at LincolnHealth’s Miles Campus. Ed Crocker operates Kimmie’s Daycare in Edgecomb and coaches and referees several sports.
To access the Crocker’s GoFundMe page, go to gofund.me/a1f99975.
