A large barn burned early Wednesday morning in Atkinson, east of Dover-Foxcroft. The homeowners were notified of the fire by passers-by and escaped without injury. Credit: Courtesy of Luke Gervais

The owners of an Atkinson home escaped harm from a fire early Wednesday morning thanks to three teenaged boys.

According to the Maine fire marshal’s office, the boys saw the fire at 110 North Stagecoach Road and helped the homeowners escape. When officials arrived at the scene at around 1:44 a.m., the barn was completely engulfed in flames that were spreading to the attached farmhouse.

“Had [the boys] not been in the right place at the right time, this could have been a much more tragic fire event.” State Fire Marshal Shawn Esler said Thursday evening.

Because of the extent of the damage, the fire marshal’s office said the cause is classified as undetermined but multiple accidental electrical causes have not been ruled out.

Leela Stockley is an alumna of the University of Maine. She lives in northern Maine with her two pugs and a cat. Send videos and photo submissions to lstockley@bangordailynews.com.