Update, 9/21/2026: After reviewing the scene, the State Fire Marshal's Office has passed the investigation of a fire off Beechwood Street, in Thomaston, to the Maine Forestry Service, which continues to investigate, according to Fire Chief Dave Hanna, in a Sept. 21, 2026 followup with PenBayPilot.com. The Fire Marshal's Office primarily responds to incidents related to structures, while Forestry deals with outside fires without human-built structures.

Initially described as a large debris fire, firefighters later learned that the material burning on a private lot behind 108 Beechwood Street, September 17, was actually discarded boat molds and related material.

Thomaston's apparatus holds some water, but not enough to squelch the flames fueled by the burning debris. Therefore, the decision was made to incorporate the Warren and South Thomaston tanker trucks, along with South Thomaston's engine. Water supply came from a nearby hydrant on Beechwood Street.

Hanna said he considered bringing in Thomaston's ladder truck, to be used for aerial water drop above the flames (ladder trucks have fire hose piping built in). However, the ladder truck was deemed unnecessary in this case. Instead, they activated the service of an excavator to help spread out the debris and expose deep-seeded flames.

Miles from the scene, in Warren, a resident called 911 to report an odor of burning plastic in the air. A Warren firefighter scoured the area before concluding that the odor was probably related to the Thomaston fire.

Fire departments were cleared from the scene by 11:30 p.m.

THOMASTON — Phone calls to Knox Regional Communications Center began to filter in just prior to 6:30 p.m., and while Thomaston firefighters headed to the station, Thomaston police followed a long dirt road to the source of a large cloud of black smoke looming above the trees. 

The source of the fire they encountered, Thursday, Sept. 17, was identified as a large debris fire burning heavily in "the pit" near 108 Beechwood Street, large enough to require a full response from Thomaston firefighters, plus additional requests for tanker trucks and personnel from Warren and South Thomaston. 

The Fire Marshal's Office has been notified.

Soon to arrive, the Thomaston fire chief laid out plans for which apparatus and personnel would follow the long, unlit, L-shaped drive, so narrow that firefighters walking on foot had to step into the brush to let the vehicles pass. 

As the calls for personnel were transmitted, Thomaston EMS happened to be at MaineHealth Pen Bay Hospital transferring care of a patient. Once finished there, they were called to Beechwood Street to stand by for any needs that might arrive on scene. An hour after those initial fire calls, their services were activated when someone assisting at the site, not an emergency responder, became injured. That person was taken to the hospital, and Rockland EMS was called to replace the Thomaston ambulance as a standby to firefighters. Half an hour or so later, when another medical call in Thomaston required an ambulance, South Thomaston was asked to take that call.

Video by CoolFireTrucks

Reach Sarah Thompson at news@penbaypilot.com