MOUNT VERNON — A mother and son escaped without injury a fire Friday that badly damaged a Bean Road home.

The two-story house at 1163 Bean Road, owned by the Wilson family, suffered significant damage to the second floor, according to Assistant Chief Jason Beckler of the Mount Vernon Fire Department. The first floor suffered heavy smoke damage in areas, he said.

“It will be a long road to recovery,” he said today.

A woman who lives in the house, and her adult son, were home with the fire broke out around 7:45 p.m. Beckler was unsure if the son lives in the house as well.

“The mother spotted smoke and noticed smoke coming from the upstairs eaves,” Beckler said. 

Smoke continued to pour out from the eves, though no flames were visible, when firefighters arrived. Inside crews were confronted by flames in the first-floor appliance area that had burned down from the second floor.

Firefighters found an upstairs bedroom aflame, Beckler said.

It took firefighters about 90 minutes to get the fire under control, and firefighters remained on scene until shortly after midnight. Beckler said the crews knocked down the fire repeatedly only to have it come back to life.

“It was a tough one,” he said.

Beckler believes the fire started as a result of an electrical malfunction in the knee wall of a second floor bedroom.

The home will have to be repaired or rebuilt before it is inhabitable, Beckler said, adding that the home is insured.

Firefighters from Mount Vernon, Belgrade, Fayette, Manchester, Readfield Vienna and Wayne turned out to help fight the fire. 

Craig Crosby—621-5642
ccrosby@mainetoday.com