SOUTH THOMASTON — Just before 4 p.m. Thursday, South Thomaston Fire Chief Bryan Calderwood was at the fire station changing out his gear when his pager went off, alerting him to a structure fire not far away at 34 Field Street. According to a Knox County Regional dispatcher, flames were reported coming out of the front of a house behind Little Learners Childcare.

When Calderwood arrived he said he saw heavy fire on the second floor of the single family residence, and a lot of black smoke.

The homeowner, Robert Barter, was not there at the time of the fire, and Calderwood said he learned that about 20 minutes before the fire was reported, an approximately 20-year-old injured male had been taken from the residence by private vehicle to Pen Bay Medical Center in Rockport.

“That individual has since been taken by LifeFlight helicopter to a hospital in Portland,” said Calderwood.

Calderwood said the relationship between Barter and the injured man is not yet known.

Due to the need for water and the extent of the fire, Calderwood said he activated the new expanded mutual aid agreement that brought Cushing and Warren to the scene with tankers. They joined the mutual aid departments automatically called to the fire, including Owls Head, Thomaston, St. George and Rockland.

The daycare is located about a football’s length away from the house behind, down the dead end road. Fire trucks not blocking the entrance to Field Street, behind the South Thomaston library, were either parked in the daycare parking lot, or at the opposite end of the road, bringing lights, water and equipment to firefighters battling the fire. So Calderwood said he worked with the owner of Little Learners, Lisa Brooks, to coordinate getting the children together with their parents to get them home. 

“Parents needed to walk up from the public landing, and the kids were walked down [Field Street] a little way,” said Calderwood.

Calderwood had his hands full juggling the daycare kids and the tasks of the seven fire departments, including his own, and on scene several visibly exhausted firefighters took breaks from the fire work to drink bottled water and remove the air tanks they wore to fight the fire. South Thomaston ambulance was on scene throughout the incident, but Calderwood said there were no injuries to the firefighters on scene.

Calderwood said the work at the scene went off without a hitch, and that approximately 30-40 firefighters responded.

“It was a good turnout, and response time was good considering this is the first time we implemented the new mutual aid agreement,” said Calderwood.

Dublin Road at Elm Street was closed for much of the night Thursday, and the State Fire Marshal’s Office remained on scene investigating until just before 10 p.m.. Calderwood said that it appeared the fire started in the kitchen, and Sgt. Ken Grimes, with the Fire Marshal’s Office, said Thursday night he would likely be releasing information about the cause sometime Friday.

Reach Editorial Director Holly S. Edwards at hollyedwards@penbaypilot.com and 706-6655. Reach Sarah Thompson at news@penbaypilot.com.