A kitchen fire damaged a mobile home at the corner of Dutch Neck Road and Route 32 in Waldoboro early Thursday.
According to Waldoboro Fire Chief Paul Smeltzer, the home suffered heavy fire damage in the kitchen area and smoke damage throughout the rest of the building.
Smeltzer said the residents were not home at the time of the fire, but a dog died, despite efforts by firefighters to resuscitate the animal with a pet mask.
The chief said he is unsure of the cause of the fire, but believes it started in the kitchen.
He said that when firefighters arrived at the scene, they immediately entered the building in an effort to save the dog.
Smeltzer said a garden hose was used to keep the flames in the kitchen at bay until full crews arrived. He said the fire was knocked down within minutes of the department’s arrival.
Smeltzer said a passerby spotted the fire. He credited the sighting as an integral part of the response.
“The early report and a great response from all departments is why there wasn’t even more damage,” Smeltzer said.
Lincoln County Communications paged out the Waldoboro Fire Department shortly after 6:30 a.m. Crews cleared the scene shortly after 8 a.m.
Smeltzer said the state fire marshal’s office had been contacted to investigate.
The Waldoboro, Bremen and Nobleboro fire departments responded to the fire. The Warren Fire Department provided station coverage for Waldoboro, and the Bristol Fire Department was on standby to respond to calls in Bremen.
Waldoboro Emergency Medical Services and the Waldoboro Police Department joined firefighters at the scene.