PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — An investigation is underway after a massive fire Friday destroyed a building in Presque Isle that housed three businesses.
Firefighters responded to the scene at about 1 p.m. after getting calls from people driving past the building, which housed Pete’s Performance Auto, M&M Sheet Metal & Welding, and Lajoie Electric located at 32-34 Industrial Street, Presque Isle Fire Department Capt. Dylan Cyr said.
Cyr also said a section of the roof had already collapsed when crews arrived.
All the employees were out to lunch when the fire started, Cyr said, and no one was inside the building at the time.
It took 40 firefighters approximately four and a half hours to put out the fire during a temperature of minus 14 degrees and a wind chill of approximately minus 40 degrees.
They were able to save one business, Lajoie Electric.
Cyr said he wants to thank firefighters from Easton, Mapleton, and Caribou for their help and the community for bringing firefighters pizza, coffee, and doughnuts.
The Maine State Fire Marshal is investigating the cause of the fire.
