CAMDEN — Dry towels tossed over halogen lights in a closet smoldered and set off a small fire this morning, Feb. 1, at a Mountain Street home in Camden.

Just after 7 a..m. a resident of a Mountain Street home called Knox Regional Communications Center, reporting smoke in the house, which drew a mutual aid response from Hope, Lincolnville, Rockport and Union.

As the outdoor temperature hovered around 7 degrees Fahrenheit, Camden Asst. Fire Chief Andrew Lowe and Firefighter Matt Heath entered the home, and doused the second floor closet fire with water from a five-gallon water extinguisher.

According to Camden Fire Chief Chris Farley, the resident had placed towels in the closet, covering the halogen closet lights.

“They [halogen bulbs] tend to produce a lot of heat,” he said. “The clean towels were fluffed up, and began to smolder.”

The home owner clarified later in the day, Feb. 1, that towels had been stacked on a shelf and one towel was too close to the light that was above it, and subsequently caught fire.

The house construction is an older vintage, of plaster and lathe, and while the towels and closet belongings were destroyed, “there was no damage to the structure of the house,” he said.

“Once the flames were out, they took the contents outside and buried it in the snow,” said Farley. 

A fan was taken inside to blow out the smoky residue.

Firefighters cleared the scene within an hour, with area departments heading back to their respective towns. The swift mutual aid response was strong and dependable, “as usual,” said Farley.

Reach Editorial Director Lynda Clancy at lyndaclancy@penbaypilot.com; 207-706-6657