FORT FAIRFIELD, Maine — An equipment malfunction coupled with high winds burned down a wood boiler and nearby chicken coop in Fort Fairfield on Tuesday night, authorities said.
Around 9:40 p.m. on Tuesday, Fort Fairfield Fire Rescue received a report that there was smoke in the area of Center Limestone Road. Firefighters who drove to 344 Center Limestone Road found a structure engulfed in flames.
Approximately 25 firefighters fought the flames, bringing the fire under control after containing it for about two hours. Fort Fairfield was assisted by fire departments in Easton, Presque Isle and Caribou.
The structure that caught fire contained an outdoor wood boiler and firewood supply. The flames also spread to a nearby chicken coop — which housed no animals at the time — and melted siding next to a detached garage.
A person passing by the residence notified the homeowner that the property was on fire. That person and the homeowner removed an antique car from the detached garage to save it from the flames and also attempted to extinguish the fire with a garden hose, the Fort Fairfield Fire Department said.
Fort Fairfield Fire said the fire is likely to have been caused by intense winds and a wood boiler malfunction. The wood boiler, the structure holding the boiler and the chicken coop are all a total loss, authorities said.
The flames did not cause any injuries, authorities said.
There have been numerous fires in Fort Fairfield this year, including a grain fire in August, a kitchen fire in July and two deadly house fires in January.
