Fire damages portion of Orono senior center

ORONO – Firefighters from Orono and Old Town stopped a fire Thursday from causing extensive damage at the former Birch Street School that now serves as the town’s senior center.

The fire was reported around 7:30 p.m. When fire crews arrived, they saw smoke and a few flames along the eaves of the building’s roof, according to Orono Fire Lt. Bryan Hardison.

Hardison said firefighters entered the three-story structure and found the fire in the stairwell between the second and third floors.

“We knocked it down pretty quick and easy,” Hardison said. “This weather hampered us a little bit.”

The skies were clear Thursday night with the temperature at about 2 degrees below zero but the wind chill made it feel 18 below, according to weather reports.

Firefighters continued to dig into the walls and ceiling of the stairwell to be sure the fire didn’t spark up again, but damage was mostly contained to the stairwell, Hardison said.

The building was being renovated and updated to meet new building codes and to make the facilities accessible to people with disabilities.

“The contractors just have a bit more work to do now,” Hardison said.

The building houses a dining room for seniors, storage in the basement for the town’s recreation departments and other organizations, and the Thrift Shop on the third story.

No one was in the building at the time of the fire and the Thrift Shop was closed and empty because of the renovations.

Orono fire investigators had not determined the cause of the fire at press time Thursday night.