A West Gardiner couple’s home was damaged heavily by an early morning fire Thursday on Collins Mills Road.
Homeowner Gary Baker reported hearing a bang shortly after 3 a.m. and discovered the home he shares with his wife was on fire.
The couple escaped the fire safely and were outside when firefighters arrived.
“Everyone escaped. They had a second means of egress, so they were able to get out,” Fire Chief Gary Hickey II said Thursday morning.
Hickey said the split-level ranch house at 300 Collins Mills Road might not be a total loss — some of the lower portion and its contents may be salvageable — but it sustained heavy fire, smoke and water damage.
Mary MacMaster, an investigator with the Office of the State Fire Marshal, went to the scene Thursday morning, seeking to determine the cause of the fire.
Later in the day, Sgt. Ken Grimes, of the fire marshal’s office, said it has been ruled an accidental fire. He said the fire originated in wall space in the basement, where a number of electrical conductors transferred from the basement to the house.
He said an electrical malfunction can’t be ruled out as a cause of the fire.
He said once the fire started, it “broke out of the back wall of the house and damaged the back wall and deck.”
Efforts to extinguish the flames were hampered by a newer steel roof placed over an existing shingle roof, Hickey said.
He said a piece of equipment similar to a cherry picker was brought in to lift up the steel roof so firefighters could get access to the older roof and beams under it.
“We had some trouble accessing the addition,” he said. “There was a significant amount of fire on top of those beams.”
The fire was contained around 7 a.m., though firefighters were still on the scene as late as 10 a.m., clearing up hot spots.
The home is across the street from the West Gardiner Rod and Gun Club.
Joining West Gardiner firefighters at the scene were firefighters from Farmingdale, Pittston, Randolph, Gardiner and Litchfield.
Keith Edwards — 621-5647
Twitter: @kedwardskj
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