Damariscotta home a ‘total loss’ in Saturday fire

Sat, 04/11/2015 - 3:30pm

    Fire destroyed a seasonal home on Cathedral Pines Road, off Damariscotta’s Egypt Road, on Saturday afternoon, April 11, Damariscotta Fire Chief John Roberts said.

    Roberts said he knew of no injuries in the firefighting effort; no one was home at the time of the fire, reported just after 2:30 p.m., he said at the scene.

    The home’s owner was Richard McInnis, Roberts said.

    Neighbor Mary Palmer said she was doing roadwork down the road when her daughter Katie Palmer, 15, spotted the fire. They called 911, and firefighters arrived very shortly, Mary Palmer said.

    Roberts said that when he arrived, flames were already coming through the roof.

    “It’s a total loss,” he said of the home.

    Asked about challenges to fighting the fire, Roberts said the only one was that the home’s driveway had not been plowed.

    A representative from the State Fire Marshal’s Office examined the scene on Monday, April 13, but was unable to determine a cause of the fire because the damage was so extensive, Roberts said Monday afternoon. Barring any new developments, the cause will remain undetermined, Roberts said.

    In addition to the one-story home, a nearby shed was also destroyed in the fire, he said.

    Newcastle, Bristol and Nobleboro firefighters assisted Damariscotta firefighters in putting out Saturday’s fire.

    Damariscotta police, the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office and Central Lincoln County Ambulance also responded to the scene.