LINCOLNVILLE — Firefighters in Lincolnville were quick to knock down a potential structure fire on the Belfast Road, early Monday morning, yet persistent smoke and smolders kept the department and its mutual aid on scene for much longer.

Attempts by the homeowner of 2060 Belfast Road, Monday, Oct. 12 (Indigenous People’s Day), at approximately 1:50 a.m., to douse exterior flames with a garden hose weren’t enough to turn back responding fire department assistance.

Arriving on scene, fire crews were met with heavy smoke billowing from the north- and south-side attic vents of the one-story home as fire creeped up the vinyl siding and into the interior ceiling. 

The smoke alarm had woken the residents, who quickly evacuated, said Assistant Fire Chief Jake Cookson.

As responding units from Hope and Northport helped to water supply, Lincolnville and Camden firefighters spent more than two hours sifting through and moistening dense insulation and fiberglass around the burn site, aiming thermal imaging cameras into dark spaces, as they sought indications for the continued smoke. 

By 3:20 a.m., the water stations were being dismantled, allowing some responders, including North East Mobile Health, to begin clearing the scene. At 4:27 a.m., the last remaining Lincolnville responders also cleared the scene. 

Aside from the site of the fire, the rest of the house suffered smoke damage, and electricity had been cut during the initial response.

The cause of the fire has not been determined but is thought to have started on an outside wall.

“It was a great effort by mutual aid,” said Cookson. “We saved the vast majority of the structure.”

He estimated that approximately 25-30 firefighters all contributed to the effort.

No injuries were reported. 

Reach Sarah Thompson at news@penbaypilot.com