WARREN — Responders had a couple of minutes on their side in regards to a house fire on Highland Road, in Warren, Saturday afternoon, due to mutual aid already being in response mode.

Moments before, Warren Fire Department’s mutual aid had been started, and then cancelled from another fire call in Warren when a second call was reported. 

At 4:01 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 7, the fire departments were alerted to smoke in a house on Tollbridge Road following a small interior fire that was extinguished immediately by the homeowner. Mutual aid towns were told to remain at their stations until Warren could arrive on the Tollbridge Road and determine the extent of the incident. Therefore, a couple minutes after that radio dialogue, at 4:05 p.m., firefighters were already in response mode when the second call came in. 

As Warren firefighters continued to Tollbridge Road to assess the smoke, mutual aid responders went directly to 562 Highland Road, some setting up water supply at a nearby pond while others continued to the house, grabbed hoses and entered the structure. Warren soon joined them.

Firefighters were able to contain the fire to a small area around a pellet stove. By 4:30 p.m., the fire had been knocked down, yet extensive searches for sparks have kept Warren firefighters on scene much longer. 

Crews responded from South Thomaston, Thomaston, Cushing, Waldoboro, and Friendship, as did Warren Ambulance.

All fire units had left the scene by 6:30 p.m.

Reach Sarah Thompson at news@penbaypilot.com