BRADFORD, Maine — Someone driving by 888 Main St. early Tuesday morning saw smoke coming from the upstairs of the home, called 911, and stopped and banged on the front door, according to Lt. George Ouellette of the Bradford Fire Department.
“They were able to get him up,” Ouellette said of homeowner Robert Hall, who was asleep at 6:35 a.m. when the fire was reported. “It really saved the guy’s life.”
The good Samaritan passer-by, however, told dispatchers that the home was located at 88 Main St., in the opposite direction from 888 Main St., he said.
“We went south instead of north” on Main Street, which is also known as Route 221 or Hudson Road, the lieutenant said. “We were very fortunate that Charleston [Fire Department] was heading into town. They happened right upon it.”
The mistake delayed the arrival of Bradford fire personnel by five to 10 minutes, Ouellette said.
When firefighters from town arrived, “there was fire showing from the roof and the windows upstairs,” he said. “We gained entry through the front door and were able to contain it upstairs.”
The flames were quickly knocked down, “which helped save a lot of stuff,” Ouellette said.
But the fire did burn a sizable hole in the roof, he said.
In addition to Bradford and Charleston firefighters, crews from Corinth, Hudson and Glenburn assisted at the scene. About 25 firefighters fought the blaze and no injuries were reported, the lieutenant said.
Main Street was closed for a while as firefighters worked to extinguish the fire. Bradford crews were the last to leave. They returned to their station at around 10:15 a.m., Ouellette said.
Fire investigators with the State Fire Marshal’s Office were at the scene later Tuesday, Sgt. Tim York said, and determined that it was an accidental chimney fire.
“We usually don’t get calls on chimney fires, but the fire chief thought it might have been a heater,” he said.
Ouellette did not know whether Hall had insurance. The flames did not touch a nearby barn, which housed cows and other animals, he said.