LINCOLNVILLE — The strong smell of burning rubber lingered at the intersection of Youngtown Road and Route 52, in Lincolnville, in the wake of a car fire Sunday morning, Feb. 11, 2024. 

Just after 12:30 a.m., neighbors near 581 Youngtown Road heard a pop and, by the time they looked out their windows, one of the car’s tires of the 2012 Toyota Camry, Grey 4 Door Sedan was already in flames. Very soon after, the rest of the car became engulfed in fire as well. 

The driver was reported to have self-extricated and ran from the scene. As arriving Lincolnville fire personnel worked to extinguished the burn, Waldo County Sheriffs Office deputies went in search of that person. The driver involved in the incident has identified by the Sheriff’s Office as Thomas Hough, 30, of Lincolnville.

Most of the firefighters returned to their nearby fire station to clean their gear at approximately 1:15 a.m., leaving one unit at the scene to meet with the tow truck driver and electric company linesmen. After the car was towed from the ditch, the linesmen set to work replacing a guide wire that had been in contact with the vehicle and the resulting flames. 

Reach Sarah Thompson at news@penbaypilot.com