GARDINER — A Libby Hill Road home is “a total loss” after a Sunday afternoon fire re-ignited when firefighters thought the original blaze was out.
Gardiner Fire Chief Al Nelson said firefighters were first called to the home at 239 Libby Hill Road at 1:45 p.m. on Sunday. Before then, Nelson said a fire started in the basement after the homeowner, who was working on plumbing with a blowtorch, left the home to go to a hardware store without realizing a wall had gotten hot enough for a fire to start.
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There was “heavy involvement by the time we got there,” Nelson said, and departments from Gardiner, Augusta, Farmingdale, Pittston and Randolph responded to control the fire, which spread into the first and second floors. The departments cleared the scene by 4 p.m., Nelson said.
But around 5 p.m., Nelson said they were called back after the fire started again in the attic. Nelson said because of the house’s age — it was built in 1890, city assessing records say — there was “most likely a pocket in there somewhere that had an ember in it that we didn’t know was there.” It took about an hour to control that blaze and the home was “a total loss,” Nelson said.
City records say the home is owned by Melanie R. Scott, and Nelson said three people lived there and now are staying with family members.
Michael Shepherd — 370-7652
Twitter: @mikeshepherdme
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