Firefighters extinguish a fire Friday afternoon in a garage at 160 Rabbit Road in Sabattus. The back of the building was heavily damaged and a truck inside was destroyed, officials said. Sabattus Fire Department
SABATTUS — Firefighters from five towns battled a blaze Friday afternoon on Rabbit Road after a pickup truck and garage were damaged.
Firefighters vent smoke Friday afternoon from a garage at 160 Rabbit Road in Sabattus. The back of the building was heavily damaged and a truck inside was destroyed, officials said. Sabattus Fire Department photo
Nobody was hurt and flames were doused before spreading to the nearby house.
Fire crews were called out about 1:30 p.m. for a report that a 1½-story detached garage at 160 Rabbit Road was on fire.
Sabattus Fire Chief Troy Cailler said four firefighters were at the station doing routine maintenance when the call came in, resulting in a fast response that helped to save most of the garage.
When the first fire crews got to the scene, the garage was in flames, Cailler said. Sabattus firefighters called for help from departments in Lisbon, Wales, Litchfield and Monmouth.
Crews battled the blaze for more than two hours. By the time it was brought under control, the truck had been destroyed and the rear of the garage sustained heavy fire damage, but the building was not considered a total loss.
Assistant Fire Chief Rob Gayton, incident commander on the call, was still investigating the cause later in the day.The fire was believed to have been accidental.
Cailler said the homeowner had been inside the garage working on the pickup truck with an acetylene torch when sparks apparently ignited nearby materials.
The homeowner’s name was not available later Friday.
Cailler said the help of extra firefighters at the station when the fire call came in illustrates why he is hoping to add a second per diem firefighter position to the department. The chief will present his proposed budget on the matter to town officials next week.
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