BRIDGTON, Maine — An investigation is underway after flames spread from a barn to a house in Bridgton on Tuesday afternoon. The home is considered a total loss.
The fire at a home on South Bridgton Road started in a barn and quickly spread to the house. It wasn’t long before the house was engulfed in flames. Crews were able to get the fire out in 30 minutes but not without a fight.
“I heard a lot of booms and bangs,” neighbor Jessica Nevells told CBS 13. “I saw in the barn the flames came shooting out, and within 5 to 10 minutes, it was going through the whole house.”
At first just the barn was on fire, but Bridgton needed more manpower to put it out.
“We had what’s called a rapid fire event, or smoke explosion, and the main house became quickly, well-involved with fire at that time as well,” Bridgton Deputy Fire Chief Corin Meehan said.
An apartment building behind the home also was damaged. Meehan said getting the fire under control was difficult for a few reasons.
“There was a delay in reception of water supply because it was frozen. Our next closest water supply is quite a few miles away in Sebago,” Meehan said. “The other thing we had to wait for was the power supply to be cut off, because the building was surrounded on two sides by power lines.”
Fire officials aren’t calling the fire suspicious, but the state fire marshal’s office will be investigating.