Stacyville garage burns, firefighters save home

STACYVILLE – Fire destroyed a Station Street garage Wednesday afternoon, but firefighters managed to save the nearby home.

Heavy winds carried the fire and heat from the garage to the home about 20 feet away, melting the vinyl siding on that side of the home, said Stacyville fire Chief Charles Heath. But firefighters from Stacyville, Island Falls, Patten and Sherman Mills subdued the fire before it spread further along the home.

The home is owned by Joe and Janice Charette, the fire chief said. The Charettes and their young daughter were not home when the fire started. Joe Charette arrived home about 4:30 p.m. and saw a glowing inside the garage. Heath said when Charette got closer to the building, the garage burst into flames.

Heath was down the street getting gasoline and saw the fire and called for help. He said the Charette family managed to move a car outside the garage. He said an ATV and many tools also were inside the garage.

The cause of the fire was still under investigation, Heath said. He reported that there was a wood stove in use inside the garage at the time of the fire.