A home on Crestview Drive in South Portland is a total loss, according to Miles Haskell, South Portland’s acting fire chief. He said the fire broke out at about 9:40 a.m. and “a full compliment” of fire trucks and firefighters arrived at the scene a short time later.
The home belongs to local businessman Jimmy Nguyen, who was not available for comment Friday afternoon. His daughter, who did not want to give her name, said the family had lived in the four-bedroom home in a subdivision off Highland Avenue for the past 16 years.
She said the family would not be able to stay the home, which was completley gutted by the fire and would be staying with relatives. Nguyen, is the owner of Jimmy Express Floor Sanding Inc.
His company website said the business is the, “Residential and commercial hardwood flooring experts in South Portland, Maine. We work hard to offer you the highest quality wood flooring on the market today with low prices and unbeatable customer service.”
Haskell called the fire “a very stubborn one to put out” and also said it was unusual to have such a fully engulfed structure fire within the city limits, since fire crews are so quick to respond.
He called the fire a two alarm one and said three engines, a ladder truck and a an ambulance from South Portland responded to the scene, along with an engine from neighboring Scarborough.
Haskell said the family refused the assistance of the Red Cross and it was evident they had entered the home after fire crews left, around 1:30 p.m., to salvage what they could.
Haskell said the three people home at the time of the fire all escaped without injury. One of the responding firefighters received a cut on his hand, but it was a minor injury.
Nguyen’s daughter said as of now no one knows what caused the blaze. The South Portland Fire Department will do an investigation, according to Haskell.
This home on Crestview Drive was declared a total loss by the South Portland Fire Department after a two-alarm fire destroyed most of the four-bedroom structure.
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