PORTLAND, Maine — The house fire at 322 Stevens Ave. in Portland was determined to be accidental by the Portland Fire Department's Fire Investigation Team. They say it was caused by improperly discarded ashes from a wood stove.
The Portland Fire Dept. and the National Fire Protection Agency recommend that ashes are allowed to cool before disposing of them. "Place ashes in a covered metal container and keep the container at least 10 feet away from the home, other buildings or any combustible materials," the department said in a press release.
Original story:
Portland fire crews responded to the scene of a house fire at 322 Stevens Ave. in Portland on Thursday just before 2 p.m.
According to reports the flames have been contained.
Portland Fire Chief Keith Gautreau said neighbors called around 1:40 p.m. Thursday to report the fire at a home near the corner of Woodford Street and Stevens Ave in Portland.
The house is a single-family, 1 and a half story home.
When firefighters arrived, they found heavy fire on the first floor. They got it under control quickly, containing the fire mostly to the first floor and preventing it from spreading to neighboring homes.
The only resident, a woman, was not there when the fire broke out. Chief Gautreau sais one pet died in the fire.
No firefighters were hurt while responding to the fire.
As of 2:30 p.m., crews were still on the scene cleaning up.
At this early stage of the investigation, the Chief said more time is needed to gather basic details including a cause and whether or not there were working smoke alarms.
Chief Gautreau says the department's quick response shows that they are still operating at a high level despite the disruptions that the coronavirus pandemic is causing across all aspects of life.
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