A fire that started under an outside stairwell at 8 Pleasant Street Monday night caused about $10,000 in damages, however no injuries resulted from the incident.
The Westbrook Fire Department responded to a call Monday at 6 p.m. that there was a structure fire at the three-family apartment building, located in close proximity to several other buildings. Firefighters quickly stamped out the flames on the outside of the building, but the fire had crept inside.
After the external fire had been extinguished there were no visible flames, though white smoke continued to spiral from the roof. The burning mixed with the scent of Angelone’s pizza across the street.
Occupants of the first and second floors were able to escape safely. No one but a cat had been home on the third floor. “It survived the fire just fine,” Westbrook Fire Chief Gary Littlefield said on Tuesday.
Firefighters had the blaze under control just before seven, and had the building’s heat and electricity turned back on a couple hours later.
“The biggest damage was the third-floor kitchen, mainly because we had to tear the walls and the ceiling down,” Littlefield said.
The particular type of design used to construct the building, which was built in 1900, was especially tricky, Littlefield said. The “balloon frame” design essentially creates a chimney within the walls from the first floor up to the top, allowing flames to quickly spread. Codes now require a design that will hinder fires from traveling from floor to floor.
“I’ve seen (fires) go up walls, across ceilings, and we just have to chase them,” Littlefield said.
Gorham and Scarborough both responded to the scene. The fire closed a section of Main Street. Littlefield said the cause of the fire is still undetermined but likely accidental.
A Westbrook firefighter hurries to get in position to fight a small fire at 8 Pleasant Street Monday night. Fire damage was contained inside the walls on one side of the apartment building, but firefighters had to rip apart the walls and ceiling on the third-floor kitchen to finally get the fire extinguished.Send questions/comments to the editors.
