SKOWHEGAN — Skowhegan police and firefighters have asked the Office of State Fire Marshal for help in determining the cause of a vehicle fire that spread to an adjacent house on North Avenue Friday afternoon, prompting the rescue of a man from the house.

The Office of State Fire Marshal was called to help investigate a fire that apparently started in one of these cars and also reached the house on Friday. Morning Sentinel photo by Amy Calder

The fire was reported around 3:30 p.m. at 80 North Ave., an older, two-story house between Maple Street and Edward Court.

Skowhegan police Cpl. Jake Boudreau said at the scene that he was limited in what he could say about the case while it was being investigated, and police Chief David Bucknam, the public information officer for his department, had been notified of the fire.

Skowhegan Fire Department responded to a call on North Avenue Friday where a car fire was reported. The state fire marshal’s office was called to help in the investigation of the cause that also involved a house. Morning Sentinel photo by Amy Calder

“From what we can tell, it started as a vehicle fire and progressed to a structure fire,” Boudreau said.

Boudreau was the first person to arrive at the scene and went inside the house to get one of the residents out. The man suffered minor burns and was treated by Redington-Fairview General Hospital EMS personnel, he said, adding that the man was the only one who suffered burns.

At the scene, a Jeep and another sport utility vehicle in the driveway of the house were charred and firefighting foam was pooled in the driveway and onto the sidewalk. The fire appeared to be out and fire and police were talking to neighbors and others in the area. It was 88 degrees and muggy.

Kendra Parlin was walking on the sidewalk and stopped to watch the goings-on.

“There was a fire there a few months ago,” she said, pointing to the house at 80 North Ave.


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