Improperly Discarded Ashes Causes Fire Destroying Garage in Houlton

Fire crews in Southern Aroostook County were kept busy Monday morning, responded to a fire that destroyed a garage in Houlton.

According to Houlton Fire Chief Milton Cone, the Houlton Fire Department responded to a call at 11:08 a.m. to a report of a structure fire at 108 White Settlement Road in Houlton.

Upon arrival with three pieces of apparatus, fire crews found that the 18 by 20 foot garage was fully engulfed in flames. Mutual aid was called in from the Hodgdon and Linneus Fire Departments.

Houlton Water Company was called in to shut off the power to the garage and home that was approximately five feet away from the garage.

The home is owned by Linda Christiansen who was home with her pet dog and cats at the time of the fire. All made it out safely.

17 Houlton fire fighters along with 5 Hodgdon/ Linneus fire fighters, battled the blaze and had it under control at 12 p.m.The scene was cleared completely by 1 p.m.

The garage was considered at total loss. Also damaged in the fire were a 2008 Honda motorcycle and a 2005 car. The home only sustained minor damage, due to the close proximately to the fire.

Chief Cone said that Christiansen had taken ashes out of the pellet stove and dumped them outside the garage, causing the fire due to the ashes being improperly disposed of. She did not have insurance on the garage.

Upon further investigation, it was found that the home had no worked smoke detectors. Fire fighters installed two in the home before they left the scene.