FAIRFIELD — A fire early Saturday morning destroyed a duplex on Winter Street and displaced those who lived there, according to the Fairfield Fire Department.

The blaze was reported around 12:45 a.m. at 16 Winter St., said Capt. Jim Lane of the Fairfield Fire Department. The building belongs to Robert and Mary Hamlin, according to property tax records.

They could not be reached for comment. Lane said he did not have the names of the people who lived there, nor did he know how many people were displaced.

The cause of the fire is being investigated by the Office of the Maine State Fire Marshal. It is not considered suspicious at this point, Lane said.

“It’s a loss,” he said of the building. “There’s no roof whatsoever. It got into the roof and went from one end to another.”

Firefighters from Clinton, Oakland, Waterville and Winslow assisted the Fairfield department at the scene. The Albion Fire Department also assisted in covering Fairfield’s station.

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Lane said those displaced by the fire have been referred to the American Red Cross for assistance.

Fire departments across central Maine have started to see an increase in structure fires as the weather turns colder, Lane said, adding it’s important for residents to make sure their chimneys are clean and they have working smoke detectors this time of year.

“It’s this time of year, when you go from extreme cold to 60 degree days like today, that you have a problem,” Lane said. “People are already starting their wood stoves and when you have a low grade fire burning, you get a lot of creosote that builds up. All of a sudden it gets cold again and your chimney is three-quarters full of ash.”

“People need to really be diligent about making sure things are running clean if they’re running stoves,” he said.

Rachel Ohm — 612-2368

rohm@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @rachel_ohm


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