‘Stubborn’ fire destroys Medway family’s home

MEDWAY – Mary Grant was sitting on the bank of the West Branch of the Penobscot River on Wednesday afternoon watching her four Labrador retrievers – Bean, Coda, Diamond and Dixie – frolic in the water when she saw smoke pouring from her house at 21 Joe Owens Road.

Immediately she called 911, but firefighters were unable to save her family’s doublewide mobile home from being gutted.

More than 20 East Millinocket, Mattawamkeag, Medway and Millinocket firefighters fought the fire, which was reported shortly before 1 p.m., but they found it very difficult to extinguish, East Millinocket Fire Capt. Peter Larlee said.

“It was a stubborn fire. The building had a couple of different roofs on it where additions had been put on it,” Larlee said Wednesday. “They [Medway firefighters] are still fighting with it right now [as of 4:30 p.m.] … it was a very stubborn fire.

“The metal roof on the dwelling also did what such structures are supposed to do – an excellent job keeping heat inside. That helped the fire to keep popping up all over the building,” he added.

East Millinocket, Medway and Mattawamkeag firefighters peeled away portions of the roof to vent the flames as Millinocket firefighters relayed water to the site.

As is standard procedure, the State Fire Marshal’s Office was notified.

Grant said she had no idea what started the fire. She believes the house, her home for more than 20 years, is insured but feared that she and her family had lost everything.

Grant, her husband, Martin, and their son, Matthew, 13, might seek shelter with relatives or at their camp, she said.

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