Fires destroy homes in Palmyra, Frankfort 14 departments responded to blazes at house, trailer; 3 firefighters injured

Fire destroyed two homes Saturday – one in Palmyra and another in Frankfort. The fires were reported within minutes of each other, shortly after 4 p.m.

In all, 14 fire departments fought the two blazes in 80-plus degree temperatures. The holiday weekend had thinned the ranks of the mostly volunteer, small rural departments, and manpower was in short supply.

Three firefighters were injured at the Palmyra fire, which was at the home of the Douglas and Tricia Smith on Windfall Lane. The large, two-story home was totally gutted. The fire was reported by the Smiths when they returned home from a day trip.

Palmyra Fire Chief Don Chute said the couple noticed smoke coming from their home and tried to enter the building but were driven back by heavy smoke.

Newport, Pittsfield, Etna, Hartland, St. Albans, Detroit and Corinna fire departments fought the blaze, which was made more difficult because a metal roof held the fire inside. Firefighters were forced to cut through the roof to vent the fire.

“This was going for a long, long time,” Chute said at the scene. When firefighters arrived, smoke was billowing from the home and all the window glass was burned brown.

“It had at least an hour’s head start on us,” Chute said. “When we arrived, the fire had already burned through the stairs to the second floor which caused us problems because we had no access to the upstairs.”

Three firefighters were injured and required medical treatment, while several others were treated at the scene for heat exhaustion.

Detroit firefighter Jamie Switzer slipped going down a ladder and struck his chin on one of the metal rungs. Pittsfield firefighter Claude Thornton was overcome while mounting an interior attack on the fire from the second floor. He was given oxygen at the scene and transported to Sebasticook Valley Hospital in Pittsfield. Newport firefighter Ricky Turner also was taken to SVH for treatment of heat exhaustion.

Chute said the State Fire Marshall’s Office was contacted. It appears the fire may have been electrical in nature, he said.

At Frankfort, Village Fire Chief Earl Anderson said the fire was three doors down from his home on the Loggin Road and the burning mobile home belonged to his wife’s sister and her husband, Cynthia and James Ellis.

“They were at a church supper and I was putting flags up all around town for Memorial Day.”

Anderson said firefighters from Frankfort Village, West Frankfort, Stockton Springs, Searsport, Monroe, Winterport and Prospect fought the fire, which gutted one end of the trailer. The rest had substantial smoke and water damage, Anderson said.

“I’ve called the State Fire Marshal’s Office,” he said, “but I believe the fire started in the laundry room. It may have been caused by a clothes dryer.”

Anderson said the couple’s daughter was due to graduate from Searsport District High School in a week and “they even lost all the decorations for her graduation party. They’ve lost everything.”

Anderson said he also called the Red Cross, which provided assistance and funds for the family to stay in a motel for three days.

No one was injured in the Frankfort fire.