LINCOLNVILLE — A home was destroyed early Friday morning, May 10, on the Beach Road in Lincolnville, as firefighters from four towns fought a blaze that was compounded by an exploding propane tank.

Lincolnville, Camden, Hope, and Northport fire departments arrived quickly to the fully-engulfed house fire at 34 Beach Road, in Lincolnville.

Lincolnville Fire Chief Don Fullington, Jr., was first on scene to find the fire spreading from the back of the house to its exterior wall and into the attic and roof. It apparently started in in a covered and screened in portion of a back deck.

Nearby were small barbecue propane tanks, one of which blew, splitting in half and acting as an accelerant.

Neighbors had awoken to the noise of the explosion, and seeing flames shooting from the roof of the home, at 35 Beach Road (Route 173), just a quarter mile up from the intersection with Route 1. 

The fire was reported to Knox County Regional Communications Center by the homeowner, as well as a neighbor, just before 4:30 a.m.

The homeowner’s young dog woke the family, and they quickly evacuated the home, along with two other dogs. The young dog, a Black Lab, is still missing, however.

Fullington said after the fire was knocked down, firefighters — “all of them who have dogs themselves,” scoured the home for any signs of the dog but found nothing, and hope the dog escaped the fire.

“Hopefully, she got scared and will eventually come home,” said Fullington.

Firefighters attacked the large two-story ranch-style house from all sides before turning their attention to the interior. Firefighters from Lincolnville, Hope and Camden all entered the home to snuff out any hot spots, as the metal roof above continue to steam and crumple from the heat.

Northport firefighters, meanwhile, continued to supply the firefighters with water, repeatedly filling tankers with water from a pond and hydrant located further north on Route 1, just past Lincolnville Beach.

North East Ambulance also responded to the scene, and tended to one of the homeowners, who had suffered minor burns on his arm.

Fullington said an investigator from the Maine Fire Marshal’s Office will visit the site to help determine the cause of the fire.