Snowmobile blaze guts garage in Millinocket

MILLINOCKET – A man narrowly escaped tragedy late Thursday when the fuel injection system on a snowmobile he was repairing ignited suddenly, gutting but not destroying his garage, firefighters said. No one was injured.

Paul Carney had just finished repairing the snowmobile in his garage at 104 Cedar St. in Pamola Park and was testing his work when it ignited at about 9:54 p.m., Millinocket Fire Chief Wayne Campbell said.

The fire spread rapidly. As an added complication, it ignited about three gallons of model airplane fuel, which had a mix of very lethal nitroglycerine, Campbell said. The fire had started to melt siding from Carney’s mobile home when firefighters got it under control within about 20 minutes.

Carney is lucky to have not been hurt or killed, Campbell said.

“I’d say he hadn’t ought to change churches. He ought to stay with the one he is in, because he’s very fortunate,” Campbell said Friday. “He still has a home and a garage.”

Carney did not immediately return a telephone message seeking comment Friday.

Fourteen Millinocket firefighters fought the blaze. They examined the structure with a thermal imaging camera to ensure against flare-ups, before clearing the scene at about 11:50 p.m., Campbell said.

The snowmobile and several model airplanes were destroyed in the blaze.