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The fire that destroyed a home along the oceanfront in Wells has been ruled accidental.
The blaze broke out at the Atlantic Avenue home about 5:55 p.m. Sunday when the homeowner, who had just changed a propane tank, was preparing to grill, according to Shannon Moss, a spokesperson for the Maine Department of Public Safety.
A fire started near the grill and caused a small explosion, spreading the flames to the home before the homeowner could get an extinguisher, Moss said Monday morning.
That blaze sent up a vast plume of thick black smoke, and the flames became heavy even before firefighters arrived.
Wells was forced to call for reinforcements because of the severity of the blaze.
Neighboring homes on both sides sustained damage from the heat and flames.
The homeowner, who was in the grill area with his daughter when the fire started, suffered minor burns, while his daughter was uninjured.
No firefighters were injured.
Investigators ruled the fire accidental.