Bridgewater fire blamed on faulty dehumidifier

7 years ago

BRIDGEWATER, Maine — A homeowner in Bridgewater will likely be able to rehabilitate her house from smoke and heat damage after a small basement fire Tuesday morning, according to the town fire department.

Cherry Cowan of 65 Milliken Street left her home Tuesday morning to take her granddaughter to the local recreation program and returned to find smoke coming from her basement and smoke alarms going off, said Matt Powers, Bridgewater Fire Department’s public information officer.

Fire crews from Bridgewater, Monticello and Mars Hill responded and extinguished the fire within a few minutes, Powers said.

It appeared to be an electrical fire caused by a faulty dehumidifier in the basement, he said.

The fire did not spread beyond the dehumidifier, but there is damage from heat and smoke in the home, primarily in the basement, Powers said.

Cowan is currently staying with family and the house was insured, Powers said.