Early morning fire destroys vacant Etna home

Posted March 08, 2009, at 12:48 p.m.

ETNA, Maine — Firefighters from more than a half-dozen communities battled an early morning blaze in Etna on Sunday that destroyed a vacant home and forced several road closures.

Etna Fire Chief Walter Gibbons said the fire at the two-story house at the intersection of Routes 2 and 143 was already well under way when crews arrived around 1:30 a.m. A metal roof, deep snow around the home and crowded power lines added to the challenge of fighting what Gibbons described as a “tremendous amount of fire” by the time firefighters assembled at the scene.

After determining that the house was vacant, Gibbons deemed it unsafe for crews to attempt to enter the building.

“It just wasn’t worth risking firefighters for what we believed to be a vacant structure,” he said.

One firefighter suffered a knee injury on the scene.

Gibbons said the cause of the blaze was unknown. The State Fire Marshal’s Office has been called in to investigate.

“You might be able to rummage around there and find a knickknack or two, but there is absolutely nothing of value left,” Gibbons said.

Firefighters from Carmel, Stetson, Newport, Plymouth, Dixmont and Levant as well as medical crews from Community Ambulance and Hermon provided assistance. The Salvation Army and local residents supplied the fire crews with food and beverages during the approximately seven hours they were on the scene.

Sections of Route 2 at Etna Center and Route 69 were closed while firefighters battled the blaze. All roads were reopened by about 8:30 a.m.

kmiller@bangordailynews.net

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