March 29, 2024
BANGOR DAILY NEWS (BANGOR, MAINE

Island officials seek cause of $500,000 fire

PORTLAND — A $500,000 fire that destroyed a construction company building on Cliff Island and threatened to spread across the tiny Casco Bay community remained under investigation Tuesday.

No one was hurt in the fire that raged for hours Monday afternoon, rattling the nerves of residents. Despite difficulty getting water to the scene, firefighters kept the flames from spreading beyond the Finest Kind Builders site.

“It was absolutely terrifying,” said Cliff Island Fire Chief David Crowley.

Firefighters were worried that they would be unable to control the blaze and that it might sweep through woods and destroy other buildings on the island.

“There’s always the potential of the whole island going up with a bad fire,” said Astrida Rideout, who lives about a mile from the fire site.

The fire started about 1 p.m. at the front of the three-story post-and-beam building, said Portland Deputy Fire Chief Ronald Thompson.

Firefighters were unable to save the building because they had neither enough water nor a powerful pump, authorities said. It took several hours for firefighters from Cliff Island, Long Island, Chebeague Island and Portland to bring the fire under control.

Crowley said it was the worst fire in the 18 years that he has lived on the island. Islanders fear fires because the island has no hydrant system and because a severe forest fire could quickly go out of control.

Portland’s fireboat wasn’t available to help fight the fire because it is in Boothbay Harbor being repaired or refitted. But Crowley said he didn’t think that boat would have made much difference, because it takes the boat 90 minutes to reach Cliff Island, which is part of Portland.

The Finest Kind building, owned by Roger Berle, housed the wood shop and other operations of Berle’s construction company.


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