Two homeless after house fire in Burlington

BURLINGTON – Poor radio reception hampered firefighter response to a blaze that destroyed a Main Road house early Thursday. No one was injured, but two people were left homeless, firefighters said.

Better radio reception would not have saved the 11/2-story wood-frame house, which a passer-by reported on fire at about 8:45 a.m., said Fire Chief John Smith of the Triangle Volunteer Fire Department of Burlington.

When firefighters arrived at about 9:20 a.m., smoke was pouring from the eaves and roof peak, a sure sign of flames eating into the attic or roof. A planned interior attack on the fire was called off because the house was too far gone, Smith said.

“I made a decision that it was too unsafe to proceed inside,” Smith said Thursday.

Firefighters on the scene could not radio the Penobscot County dispatch center to report that electrical lines had fallen into the street and posed a hazard, Smith said.

They took a cellular telephone to a nearby hill to reach dispatchers and asked to have a utility truck sent to the scene.

Firefighters blocked Route 188 for almost five hours until the line was repaired, Smith said.

Triangle firefighters on the way to the scene had difficulty communicating with each other by radio or with firefighters from the Passadumkeag Fire Department, a potentially hazardous situation, he said. Passadumkeag also responded to the fire report.

“We couldn’t reach them to find out what was going on or to tell anyone what was needed,” Smith said. “This is something that has been going on for a while.”

Dispatchers could be heard asking firefighters on the way to the scene to repeat themselves.

“We were really at the end of the [communications] system,” he said. “There’s certainly a problem.”

Increasing radio range by installing more transmitters in the area would alleviate the problem, Smith said.

Firefighters managed to save an adjoining tool shed on the property, Smith said.

The homeowner, James Harris, works as a surveyor in Lincoln. He and his wife had left for work when the fire began, Passadumkeag firefighters said.

They were seeking shelter Thursday night with relatives who live nearby, Smith said.

Harris did not return telephone calls to his office seeking comment Thursday.

The fire was exceptionally difficult to snuff. Firefighters stayed on-scene until about 6:30 p.m. dousing hot spots in the ruins. The fire probably started in or near a wood stove, Smith said.

About 16 firefighters were at the fire scene. Nearby residents helped them during the long day by giving them food and drink, Smith said.

Triangle covers Burlington, Lowell and Grand Falls.