DEER ISLE, Maine — A fire that destroyed a woman’s home Wednesday morning after she left for the day is believed to have been caused by a lightning strike the night before, according to the local fire chief.
The Deer Isle Fire Department was called out to the home of Wendy Joyce on Daryl Lane around 1 a.m. Wednesday after it was struck by lightning, Fire Chief Brent Morey said. Firefighters crawled into the crawl space behind the water heater of the double-wide manufactured home to make sure the fire was out before they left the scene, he said.
“We felt that it was out,” Morey said.
At 9:30 a.m., after Joyce had left to go visit her father at his house, a passer-by called the fire department to report the structure was fully involved.
There were no injuries, with the exception of Joyce’s two pets, according to the chief.
“She had a dog and cat,” Morey said. “They were both lost.”
Approximately 25 firefighters from Deer Isle, Stonington, Sedgwick and Brooklin responded to help put out the fire, the chief said. They remained on the scene until about 2 p.m.
The home was not insured, Morey said. Joyce is believed to be staying with family until she can find long-term living arrangements.
