Presque Isle Apartment House Fire Cause Released

The Maine State Fire Marshal's office says a fire that destroyed a Presque Isle apartment building on Saturday was caused by discarded ashes.

The Presque Isle Fire Department responded around 2:30 a.m. to a three-story apartment building at 572 Main Street that also housed a business.

During the initial response, firefighters determined that the fire originated in an attached shed and was linked to an ash bucket containing discarded ashes, according to Maine Public Safety Department spokesperson Aaron Turcotte.

After extinguishing the blaze, the Presque Isle Fire Department was later called back to the property for a second report of fire in the building. Caribou, Easton, Fort Fairfield and Mapleton, Castle Hill, Chapman Fire departments were called in to help battle the fire.

An excavator was brought in the remove the metal roof to get at the fire in the attic. The area around 572 Main Street was closed until around 11:30 Saturday morning. Crews kept putting water on the fire for several more hours.

The Presque Isle Fire Department requested assistance from the State Fire Marshal's Office to investigate the circumstances of the two fire responses. Investigators determined that the original fire had continued to burn undetected within multiple layers of wall and roof materials, eventually becoming visible and prompting a second fire department response, Turcotte said.

The investigation concluded that the second fire was a continuation of the original one rather than a separate one.

There were no injuries reported. The American Red Cross was offering assistance to the displaced tenants.