LEWISTON – Investigators on Monday were still trying to determine what caused a Adams Street storage building to go up in flames Sunday night.
Fire inspectors spent part of the day poking through charred wood and twisted metal as they sought the origin of the blaze that destroyed the building and most of its contents.
Five cars – including a classic Ford Mustang – were lost to the fire when flames spread through the building shortly after 9 p.m.
Among other items lost in the blaze was a boat, lawn mowers and wiring materials being used in a nearby housing project. Damage to the building and its contents was estimated between $50,000 and $100,000.
The storage building, owned by local businessmen Bruce Myrick and Blaine Akerley, was constructed in the 1960s.
Officials said the wood-framed building had no ceiling above the bays, which allowed flames to move rapidly throughout the structure.
“It was fully engulfed when firefighters got there,” said fire investigator Pete Morrell. “Once the fire began rolling in the rafters, it moved quickly. There was fire blowing out everywhere.”
The aluminum roof and siding contained the heat inside the 26-unit storage facility, Morrell said. What didn’t burn inside the building probably melted.
“It was like having a big fire in a tin can,” Morrell said.
Morrell said the fire appeared to have started at the rear, right side of the building. What caused the blaze remained a mystery Monday night.
There was no electricity running to the building, but other possible causes had not been ruled out.
Lewiston firefighters were joined by crews from three other departments as they battled the fire. Witnesses reported hearing explosions from inside the building as the flames raged.
“I think what people were hearing was a bunch of aerosol cans rupturing,” Morrell said.
No one was hurt in the blaze. Morrell planned to return to the burned out building on Tuesday to continue searching for clues. He was asking that anyone with information about the fire call him at 784-5713
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