March 29, 2024
BANGOR DAILY NEWS (BANGOR, MAINE

Dealer’s fire laid to light fixture

WATERVILLE — A fire that apparently began in a fluorescent light fixture in the service area caused an estimated $600,000 in damage at Thompson Volkswagen-Audi-Mazda, officials said Friday.

No injuries were reported in the fast-moving fire that began Thursday evening after most dealership employees had left work.

Approximately 85 firefighters from Waterville and four neighboring communities brought the fire under control within an hour and a half.

The probable cause was overheated light ballasts in the service area, according to William Macomber, a state electrical inspector.

The fire failed to put the company out of business. Even as investigators sifted through the building’s charred interior for clues to the origin of the fire, a salesman was showing cars to potential buyers in the parking lot.

Owner Robert Thompson of Waterville said the building was virtually gutted.


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