Windham and Gorham fire crews responded quickly late Wednesday afternoon to supress a blaze at the Keddy Mill in Windham.
A pile of debris and a street sweeper parked inside the mill located on Route 202 in South Windham caught fire around 5:15 p.m. By 5:45 p.m. fire crews had the blaze under control.
With Gorham crews on the Route 202 side of the building and Windham crews, who were first on scene, in the back of the building, fire personnel used water and foam to suppress the fire. Windham crews, led by Chief Charlie Hammond, drove two apparatus down a narrow, muddy path to access the blaze.
Gorham Fire Chief Robert Lefebvre was unclear where the fire started, but said “there was heavy smoke when we showed up.” The fire included a pile of debris on the outside of the building, the street sweeper inside the building and a grease fire in at another location at the site. Fire officials weren’t sure whether the fire started inside or outside the building or whether they were lit separately.
Hammond said first responders from Windham saw “kids fleeing the area.” The area is known to be a hangout for local teenagers and children. Hammond also said his crews found a skate ramp inside the mill with one end charred as well as graffiti lining the walls. At this time, however, it is unclear whether arson played a role in Wednesday afternoon’s fire.
Renee Lewis owns the Keddy Mill and is in the process of developing the site into a condominium complex called the Village at Little Falls. Next door to the run-down Keddy Mill is Avesta Housing’s senior citizen facility, Little Falls Landing.
-Robert Lowell contributed to this report
Gorham crews aided in containing Wednesday afternoon’s fire at the Keddy Mill in South Windham. Within a half an hour crews had extinguished the fire, which was started near the back of the building.Send questions/comments to the editors.
