THOMASTON — Zero visibility within the second floor and wall paneling that was difficult to penetrate, slowed efforts to extinguish fire within a Thomaston home, Friday, June 21.

Heavy smoke billowed from the eaves of 37 Kermit Lane as firefighters entered the 2-story wood structure from the ground floor and climbed the stairs into a room they could not see, to contain fire they knew to be somewhere within the walls.

An occupant of the home was transported to the hospital as crews from Thomaston, Rockland, Warren, Waldoboro, Cushing, and South Thomaston, and eventually, Rockport, assembled their gear and maneuvered operations for the home at the end of a one-lane, dead-end dirt road.

Thomaston street remained closed from the beginning of the incident, at approximately 6 p.m., so that trucks, vehicles, and a water station could park. From the moment of arrival, fire crews were inside, trying to access the wall space behind V-match wood paneling, which, according to Rockland Asst. Fire Chief Adam Miceli, is more difficult to access than regular plaster and insulation.

With the need for visibility in order to operate their chainsaws inside, crews penetrated through the roof from the exterior, allowing smoke to escape. Because oxygen fuels flames, the outside air drew fire from the ventilation sites.

“I felt that we had control of the situation from the start,” said Miceli. “The fire was contained within the area fairly early, and was kept from spreading. It just took longer to extinguish.”

With the zero-visibility, the limited air supply of 20-minute oxygen tanks, and the physical exhaustion of firefighting efforts in general, a continuous rotation of crews were put to work.

Alongside those personnel, was the third or fourth crew of four prepared to access the structure at any moment if something should happen to those already inside.

Thomaston Street reopened for regular traffic between 9 and 9:30 p.m.

THOMASTON — As Thomaston firefighters and their mutual aid searched for the source of heavy smoke billowing from the eaves of a two-story house in Thomaston, the town’s ambulance transported an occupant of the house to the hospital.

Friday, June 21, at approximately 6 p.m., firefighters from Thomaston, Rockland, Warren, Waldoboro, South Thomaston, and Cushing were called to 37 Kermit Lane, just off of Thomaston Street.

Rockport firefighters were eventually called to the scene.

At first, flames were not visible from the exterior of the building. But as responders ventilated the roof and pulled insulation from the interior, bursts of fire could be seen in the second-floor window.

Because the house resides at the end of a one-lane, dead end, dirt road, only the equipment within three fire trucks was readily available at the scene, leaving four more trucks at Thomaston Street, and requiring walking firefighters to walk to follow a long fire hose down the approximate a quarter-mile corridor.

Firefighters were clear of the scene shortly after 9 p.m.

This article will be updated as information becomes available.

Reach Sarah Thompson at news@penbaypilot.com