MILLINOCKET, Maine — A Millinocket man who used a blowtorch in an effort to thaw frozen pipes Saturday night inadvertently set his home off Millinocket Road on fire, Deputy Fire Chief Thomas Malcolm said Sunday.
The fire began around 9 p.m., when James Burgess, whose home is located on Smith Pond, caught some insulation on fire, Malcolm said. He and a friend who was helping him thought they had put the fire out with extinguishers, but it reignited while they were out getting a fan to air the house out.
Firefighters from Millinocket, Medway and East Millinocket fought the fire for about five hours on Saturday night, Malcolm said. While they were not able to save the house, they did save outbuildings on the property.
Fire crews’ efforts were hindered by subzero temperatures and wind gusts of 35 mph coming off the pond, he said. Despite that, there were no injuries.
Malcolm said firefighters returned to the scene on Sunday after the fire flared up yet again.
Malcolm said that the single-story 26-by-26-foot structure was insured.