Firefighters from several area communities battled a roaring structure fire Monday afternoon on Sand Road in Canaan. One observer said he could see flames rolling out of the windows just before 1:30 p.m.
Ron Dibiase, who lives nearby, said it appeared that the residents of the house were not home when the fire began and that no one was injured. He said Dale Rogers lives in the house and is often visited by his daughter, Britney, her son and a black Labrador dog.
“I was coming back from Clinton, coming down over the hill where the house is and saw smoke,” Dibiase said by phone Monday afternoon. “When I got up close, I saw the middle of the house — the living room of the house in the middle — was engulfed in flames, rolling out the window and right up over the roof.”
Dibiase said he checked to see if anyone was home and then called 911.
He said Britney Rogers showed up soon after with the dog in her car.
“It looks like it’s fully gutted on the inside, and the porch is all burned up — the living room, everything,” Dibiase said. “It’s a good size house.”
Firefighters from Canaan, Clinton, Hartland, Skowhegan, Madison, Pittsfield, Newport, St. Albans, Athens, Solon, Fairfield and Cornville responded to the scene or covered neighboring fire stations, as did Canaan Rescue and an ambulance from EMS in Skowhegan.
Canaan Fire Chief Troy Bowden returned a phone call from a reporter Monday afternoon, but said he could not release any information at that time.
Doug Harlow — 612-2367
Twitter:@Doug_Harlow
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