A Bowdoinham apartment building at 15 Main St. was damaged by a fire Tuesday afternoon.
The fire started sometime before 1 p.m. Tuesday. At about 1:15 p.m., firefighters could be seen battling flames on the first floor.
Topsham resident and former Times Record reporter Darcie Moore, speaking from the scene, said that crews from nearby communities including Topsham and Brunswick were assisting.
Main Street in Bowdoinham was blocked off, Moore said, with sheriff’s deputies helping with traffic control.
“There’s a lot of gray smoke,” Moore said. “There’s been intervals where I’ve seen flames shooting out of the windows, but they’re getting water on it very quickly.”
According to Bowdoinham Deputy Fire Chief Aron Temple fire crews from neighboring five towns, including Topsham, Lisbon and Brunswick responded to the scene.
Temple said there were not many people in the building when the fire started and the ones who were present escaped.
“We do not know how many people were living in these apartments,” said Temple on Tuesday afternoon. “We are still in operation. It is going to take us a little while to douse the fire. It is too early to say anything.”
“We came outside and saw everything burning, it is horrible,” Cavin Warner, who works at a neighboring business, said. “Quite a few people live there. It is hard to say what caused the fire.”
No injuries were reported and the cause of the fire is currently unknown.
Bowdoinham Historical Society Treasurer Betsy Steen said it was a historic building.
“It was one of our great buildings,” said Steen. “It was kind of a showplace in a way ever since 1800s. Families who lived in those apartments were living there for many years.”
According to its listing on Apartments.com, the structure contains six units within two stories. The site stated the building was constructed in 1800. According to town documents, the building is owned by Goodall Properties, LLC.
The building is near the intersection of Main Street and River Road, near Three Robbers Pub.
Steen said the owner of the building owns similar apartments around the town. No further information was available Tuesday evening.
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