BROOKS, Maine — A man was injured Thursday in a fire caused by a home repair project gone awry, according to an official with the Brooks Volunteer Fire Department.
Gordon Wood, who owns the home at 582 Veterans Highway, was treated for burns and a bump on his head and released Thursday from Waldo County General Hospital, Assistant Deputy Chief Hans Albee said Friday.
Wood had been applying an adhesive while doing a project in his kitchen early Thursday afternoon when the fumes from the adhesive ignited and the room caught fire, Albee said. Wood was able to race out of his home and call for help, he added.
“He bumped his head when he was leaving the building in a hurry,” Albee said.
When firefighters and emergency responders from 10 different agencies got to the residence, they were able to work fast enough to keep the blaze from spreading.
“We were fortunate we were able to contain the fire in the room,” Albee said.
Two cats that were in the two-story saltbox both were safely removed, according to the assistant deputy fire chief, and no firefighters were injured while battling the blaze.
The state fire marshal’s office investigated the blaze and determined that it was accidental, Albee said. The home, which is insured, is not habitable currently, and Wood could not stay there Thursday night.
“In general, we got lucky. Sometimes you just don’t know what you’re getting into, and we got lucky to get enough people to save the structure,” Albee said.
Most of the firefighters who turned out from Brooks, Monroe, Jackson, Thorndike, Waldo, Morrill, Freedom, Belfast, Unity and Liberty remained at the house for about 2½ hours, Albee said.