CARIBOU – A family of four has been left homeless after fire swept through their home late Christmas night.

Mark McCrossin, his wife, and their two children, ages 2 and 4, are staying with relatives after their home on York Street was destroyed at about 11:10 p.m. Monday.

McCrossin told Caribou firefighters that the family had gone to bed at about 8 p.m., but were awakened shortly after 11 p.m. by a smoke detector. They were able to escape without injury.

The family reported that they lost almost all of their possessions.

High winds pushed the wind chill at the time to minus 38 degrees, according to Mark Baker, a firefighter-paramedic with the Caribou Fire Department.

Baker said firefighters thought they had the fire under control after a couple of hours, until they discovered that the floors were still hot.

“At that point, it started breaking out here and there and there was no stopping it,” Baker said, adding that the construction of the house and the high winds helped spread the fire throughout the structure.

Baker said firefighters were able to save the garage, and also protected nearby dwellings from the flames. He said all firefighters were finally cleared from the scene at 11 a.m. Tuesday.

Firefighters from Presque Isle, the Loring Commerce Centre and Washburn provided mutual aid.

No official cause for the fire was available Tuesday, but Baker said the fire was believed to have started in the basement of the two-story house.