Officials probe fire in Lincoln

LINCOLN – The cause of a fire that left a family of seven temporarily homeless Sunday night is under investigation by the State Fire Marshal’s Office.

Interim Fire Chief Frank Hammond said no injuries were reported. The chief called state investigators to assist the local department in determining the fire’s cause. He said no one was home at the time of the fire.

A state fire investigator spent much of Monday shifting through the rubble for clues.

Hammond said it appeared the fire reported at 5:15 p.m. Sunday started on the north side of the one-and-a-half story home located on the Enfield Road on Route 155.

Fire officials said they understood James and Christina Rider, formerly of North Conway, N.H., had recently purchased the home. Hammond said the couple had no insurance. He estimates damage to be about $50,000.

Christina Rider said Monday that the couple had purchased the home on Friday. She said they had paid cash for it from a disability settlement her husband had received. “We couldn’t get homeowners insurance because they told us that they needed the exact square footage and told us we had to wait until Monday,” she said. “I’m so mad at them,” said Rider, referring to the insurance company.

She said the couple took its last $6,000 and purchased new appliances and furniture Friday night.

Rider said she, her husband and three of their children left the house between 3:30 and 4 p.m. Sunday to go to a local hotel to take showers and get cleaned up. The other two children were out of state. She said the water had not been turned on at their new Enfield Road home. When the family returned home between 9 and 10 p.m., they found crews of firefighters.

Rider said the electricity was the only thing on in the house. She said there were coals in a wood stove. “Everything got completely wiped out except what we have on us,” she said, noting the family’s puppy died in the fire.

Gusting winds and bitter cold temperatures hampered firefighting efforts. About 70 firefighters from Lincoln, Lee, Mattawamkeag and Howland worked for about seven hours to extinguish the flames.

The first firefighters on the scene reported heavy smoke pouring out of the north side of the home. Soon after, firefighters saw lots of fire on the first floor. “The fire had control of about half of the first floor,” said Hammond.

Working against 30 mph winds, firefighters attempted to knock the flames down, but the wind kept fanning the flames and at times forced the firefighters to retreat. “It intensified fire conditions inside the building and at times drove them back outside,” said Hammond. “They tried their darnedest to get inside and stop it,” he said.

The chief said the flames caused the roof to cave in. Most of the upper story was destroyed by fire along with about one-third of the first floor. The remaining portion of the building received significant heat and smoke damage.

Lincoln Water District workers filled tanker trucks as other firefighters shuttled water from less than a mile away. “I haven’t seen a fire like this in five years,” said Hammond. “Between the wind-driven flames, the amount of ice created and the cold conditions, conditions were brutal. We had guys covered with a half-inch of ice. I saw a couple of firefighters’ helmets with inches of ice on them,” he said.

SAD 67 provided a school bus to allow firefighters a place to warm up the alternating crews. Highway department workers spread sand on the icy roadway.

Hammond said there was excellent teamwork among the four departments.

An account has been set up at the Lincoln Maine Federal Credit Union to help the Riders. The address is P.O. Box 220, Lincoln 04457.