NORTHPORT – Remnants of flame continued to burn this morning at unreachable corners under a metal roof following a house fire in Northport just before 7 p.m., Sunday, Feb 25.

The house at 217 Parkinson Lane is a complete loss, according to Northport Volunteer Fire Chief Paul Rooney. 

As of 1 p.m., Monday, the official cause will be classified as undetermined, according to Rooney.

“We were hampered initially by lack of manpower and water,” he said. “By the time we had enough resources on scene there was not much we could do to save the house.”

Members of the Northport Volunteer Fire Department, along with responders from Belfast, Belmont and Lincolnville, were called to the house after the homeowner called 911 just at 6:58 p.m.

The homeowner and a dog were the only ones there when the fire started. Both exited safely.

That home is about a mile off of Route 1. Its road is just before Maine Outdoor Sportsman when traveling north along the highway from Lincolnville.

One crew of responders maintained a pump site near the Route 1 entrance, for fire-scene crews to return to for more water.

Fire personnel initially cleared the scene at 1:30 a.m. However, Rooney and a few others with inklings of energy remaining, returned to the scene again at 2:30 a.m.

“I used up my available manpower and needed to get them some rest,” he said of his volunteer crew.

The cause of fire remains unknown, yet is not believed suspicious, Rooney said this morning. Though he planned to call the State Fire Marshal’s office today, it’s more as a formality. At the time of the fire, he did not have cause to contact the Fire Marshal.

“I have not called the fire marshal's office [yet] due to the amount of damage, and finding a cause will be virtually impossible,” he said.

The narrow road made access difficult, he said. However, it was the on-site challenges that caused the most challenges.

“The rain and fog actually hindered us greatly in that it held the smoke in place making very limited visibility,” he said. “The biggest obstacle was the metal roof which hindered access to the fire and to trying to completely extinguish it.”

Sarah Thompson and Erica Thoms can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

NORTHPORT – A Northport residence has been rendered uninhabitable, Sunday, Feb. 25, despite efforts by Northport, Lincolnville, Belfast and Belmont firefighters to save it. The fire was in a home about a mile off of Route 1, just before Maine Outdoor Sportsman when traveling north along the highway from Lincolnville.

More than two hours after the first firefighters arrived on scene, flames continued to reignite at two different sections within the house at 217 Parkinson Lane.

One Lincolnville crew maintained a water pump site near Route 1, while other firefighters drove up a long, initially icy unpaved road to get to the house.

In front of the house, they fought to keep their footing on the ice as wintry weather combined with water from hoses created hazardous conditions.

Three hours later, as some of the Lincolnville firefighters left, the drizzle had warmed the ground to a slushy mess. 

This article will be updated as more details become available.