Hydro to probe response time to fire

BANGOR – Bangor Hydro-Electric Co. officials plan to investigate why their line crews took 90 minutes to respond to a fire in Franklin Wednesday night, despite two calls from the town fire chief asking for immediate help.

Greg Hines, director of business services for the utility, said the company plans to meet with Fire Chief Robert Grindle this weekend to talk about what happened, and to interview the line workers who were covering the Franklin area during a severe thunderstorm late Wednesday.

“We need to dig into this some more,” Hines said.

He declined further comment until after the company gets more information.

The Franklin, Hancock and Eastbrook volunteer fire departments responded to a fire call at the Franklin Trading Post on Route 182 at about 10:20 p.m., but the store and restaurant were in flames when firefighters arrived.

Grindle said Thursday that he called Bangor Hydro twice asking for someone to come cut the power to the store and nearby gas pumps. One line worker arrived 90 minutes after the chief made his first call.

Grindle said he was concerned about firefighters trying to drown a fire with live electric wires overhead. He also was worried about gas fumes igniting at the nearby pumps, which also were part of the store.

The fire destroyed the store, a landmark in the small town of Franklin. Grindle’s crews worked until 3:30 a.m. to get the blaze under control.

An official cause of the fire has not been determined, but witnesses next door to the store heard what they thought was an explosion just minutes before the store fire was spotted. Grindle and others suspect the building was struck by lightning.