ALFRED — Firefighters from more than half a dozen communities fought a stubborn blaze, which destroyed a barn and garage and damaged the home of a family of six at 768 Gore Road Thursday afternoon.
Firefighters worked well into the evening to extinguish the fire. The property is located just north of the intersection of Gore Road and Fort Ridge Road.
Alfred Assistant Fire Chief Matt Bors said it appears the fire was accidental. The cause was undetermined this morning. An investigator from the State Fire Marshal’s Office was due to examine the scene this morning, but Bors said initial thinking is that it may have started in a heating appliance in the garage.
Homeowners Ryan St. Pierre and Amanda Munroe stood by Thursday afternoon watching as firefighters trained hoses on the burning embers of the garage/barn structure. Smoke poured from the eves of the two-and-a-half-story attached home.
Firefighters were able to draw water from hydrants on the middle branch of the Mousam River, which runs nearby.
St. Pierre was home alone and just preparing to take a shower when he heard a pounding on his door. It was a couple of passersby ”“ as it turns out, an off-duty firefighter and a paramedic ”“ telling him the garage was ablaze.
The fire was called in at about 3:30 p.m. Bors said the operation wound down around 10:30 p.m.
St. Pierre managed to save the family pets ”“ he placed the dog and cat in his truck.
Munroe said the couple purchased the property about 1 1/2 years ago.
St. Pierre had just finished jacking up the barn and repairing it, she said.
The couple was fixing up the home gradually, she said.
“We wanted an old farmhouse,” said Munroe as the smoke rolled from the structure.
Both the barn and garage were totally destroyed. The home has extensive smoke and water damage but crews were able to salvage some items, Bors said.
One firefighter hurt his hand fighting the fire.
Alfred Fire Department reached out for mutual aid to provide manpower to fight the blaze. Assisting Alfred were firefighters from Waterboro, Shapleigh, Limerick, Newfield and Goodwin’s Mills, along with Ross Corner Fire Company. West Kennebunk firefighters provided station coverage.
The Red Cross was on hand to help the family, said Bors.
— Senior Staff Writer Tammy Wells can be contacted at 324-4444 (local call in Sanford) or 282-1535, ext. 327 or twells@journaltribune.com.
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