VIDEO: One person was taken to the hospital to be treated for burns and more than a dozen firefighters were treated at the scene for heat-related illnesses after battling a large fire in the Penobscot County town of Veazie on Tuesday.
Just after 3 p.m., firefighters were called to 5 Thompson Road and found heavy fire in a two-story, 20-unit apartment building. By the time crews arrived, the fire had spread up the back of the building and reached the roof. More than a dozen departments responded to the fire, including from Bangor and the Air National Guard. The high temperature in the area was 97 degrees Tuesday, creating significant challenges for crews as firefighters dealt with exhaustion from the heat.
Crews were able to contain the fire itself to four apartments but there was also water and smoke damage to neighboring units. The Red Cross is helping the people who have been displaced. A man who lived in the building was taken to Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center to be treated for second-degree burns to his feet. Police said the man had gone back into the building to rescue a partner.
Investigators said one dog and possibly a cat died in the fire. โIโm at a loss for words really. Iโve never dealt with anything like this and hope to never have to deal with it again. Itโs just everything we own it is potentially gonna be gone,โ said Steven Collins, who lived there. Investigators from the State Fire Marshalโs Office say it appears the fire started on a porch and was caused by the improper disposal of smoking materials.
