THOMASTON — A vehicle fire in Thomaston, Monday morning, sent a large billow of black smoke straight up into the air, prompting a response from Thomaston Fire, Ambulance, and Police. Dexter Street Extension was closed to traffic for a brief time until apparatus could arrive and the flames could be contained. 

The pickup truck in the back lot of 33 Dexter Street Extension could not be saved, though an employee of the site made an attempt with an extinguisher before firefighters could arrive.

According to Fire Chief David Hanna, who assumed the chief’s position July 1, the pickup had a diesel tank in the back, filled offsite just prior to the incident, and was intended as a way to redistribute the fuel into an excavator. The diesel tank was manufactured to ride in truck beds because they are grounded and bonded, unlike the plastic containers, which gas stations warn against filling while on a vehicle due to static electrifying the vapors.

At some point, the employee noticed fire coming from underneath the rear of the truck.

The fire department is looking into the cause of the fire, which is considered undetermined at present. The diesel tank is not believed to be a factor.

This fire, which was alerted to responders at 10:27 a.m., Sept. 29, 2025, marks a rare occasion for TFD. The fire station does not have shift firefighters, though they sometimes have someone working per diem. Such was the case today. As well, another firefighter happened to be working on the ambulance team, which is staffed 24/7. Everyone else comes from home, work, or play, as did an assistant fire chief who was nearby. Because the firefighters happened to be at the station at the time of the call, a fire truck was able to arrive on scene and putting water on the flames under four minutes, six minutes faster than the usual 10-minute wait time.

“For a vehicle fire, the vehicle would still be destroyed,” said Hanna. “But, if this were a house fire, six minutes makes a huge difference.”

Thomaston residents had approved their share of a matching grant for money to build a new, habitable fire station. The Town awaits the federal government’s approval for the other portion.