CARIBOU, Maine — Firefighters with the Caribou Fire Department managed to save most of a single family home in Caribou after a hot curling iron ignited a bed it was left on, according to Captain Scott Jackson.
Firefighters responded to the 10:19 a.m. call Saturday and fought the fire at 31 Plante Road for roughly an hour and forty minutes. Jackson said they called the Limestone Fire Department for mutual aid while Presque Isle’s department covered Caribou’s station.
The captain would not say who owned the home, but did say that the owners were insured, and that the fire caused roughly $10,000 in damage.
With only 10 firefighters on the scene, Jackson said the most significant obstacle was the lack of help. Water was not an issue, as they only used roughly 500 gallons to subdue the flames.
“The guys did a good job and knocked it down quick,” he said. “The bedroom door [where the fire originated] was closed, and that saved the house. If it wasn’t closed, the fire would’ve spread through the house, so everything worked out well.”
He added that, aside from a broken window and a small amount of soot, it would be hard to notice the home was struck by a fire from the outside.
Nobody was injured as a result of the fire, and officials with the American Red Cross announced via a press release that they are helping the five people who lived in the residence, ensuring that they “have food, a safe place to sleep, and other essentials.”
The release also indicated that the Red Cross would be providing financial assistance and community referrals to the residents of this home, and of any home struck by disaster.
