Palmyra officials probe homemade ‘bomb’ blast

PALMYRA – Palmyra Fire Chief Don Chute has requested the assistance of the State Fire Marshal’s Office in determining who set off a homemade incendiary device late Wednesday at the Douglas Pond Game Preserve on Madawaska Road in Palmyra.

“It was either a homemade bomb or fire bomb-type fire,” Chute said Thursday.

An ambulance attendant reported seeing several people around a small fire at the preserve about 11:45 p.m. Wednesday and Chute responded. He found that the people had left, but a small blaze had burned a square-foot area.

“It was a box, containing earrings, jewelry and possibly an old pair of glasses,” said Chute. “Inside there was a pipe or something similar that was shooting small flames.”

Since the fire was so small, Chute said he attempted to douse it with a gallon of water. “The flames immediately shot about 30 feet into the air. It scared me to death,” he said. That reaction confirmed to him that the fire was chemical in origin.

He eventually smothered the fire with a towel and notified the fire marshal’s office. He is also investigating a link between the chemicals and items reportedly taken from a science lab at Maine Central Institute in Pittsfield earlier this week.

“It could have been kids just fooling or it could have been something much more sinister,” Chute said.