ELLSWORTH, Maine — An early morning fire consumed a home Saturday in the Washington County town of Waite while the family who lives there was on vacation.
The fire was reported around 7 a.m. and a fire crew from Indian Township arrived on scene within 20 minutes, according to Indian Township firefighter and EMC Levi Reppert. When the crew arrived, the building’s face was engulfed in flames.
“The front was totally involved and it spread quickly through the back,” Reppert said. His team of firefighters was joined by volunteer crews from Princeton, Topsfield, Grand Lake Stream and Baring.
The home, on Houlton Road/U.S. Route 1, burned completely and firefighters had the scene cleared of flames by 11:30, Reppert said.
Houlton Road was closed to one lane of traffic for about three hours, Reppert said, but the rural highway’s traffic flow was light enough to prevent any major congestion.
A family lives in the home, but was away on vacation when the blaze occurred, said Indian Township dispatcher James Mendoza.
Mendoza said the cause of the fire is still undetermined, but that investigators from the Office of the State Fire Marshal were on scene Saturday morning.
Follow Mario Moretto on Twitter at @riocarmine.
