GRAY, Maine — Two firefighters were taken to hospitals after a large fire broke out on the shore of Little Sebago Lake in Gray on Wednesday night, damaging four buildings.
Raymond Fire and Rescue responded to Evergreen Road shortly before 7 p.m. for a reported porch fire, which rapidly spread damaging three homes and a boathouse.
"I've never seen a fire that large," Gail Pacifico, a nearby homeowner who called 911, said. "Within three minutes the whole house was engulfed, and the next-door neighbor's house was starting."
Crews had to drive nearly 2 miles down narrow camp roads to get to the scene, Raymond Fire and Rescue said in a release Thursday.
When firefighters arrived, they found a structure fire that was spreading to other buildings and vehicles parked in the driveway, the release said. Propane tanks then began to ignite, creating flames more than 30 feet in the air.
"Within minutes, this fire went from a porch fire to a blaze that probably burned out more or less 2 acres of woods and we're talking homes here," Raymond Fire's Public Information Officer Scott Doyle said.
Doyle said crews were simultaneously fighting building fires, car fires, propane fires, and woodland fires. He said he's never responded to a fire quite like Wednesday night.
"Last night was one of those nights where you used multiple skillsets," he said. "There was legit problems down here, and it was chaotic."
Officials established a water supply at a local boat launch to help crews battle the flames.
Two homes are a total loss with estimated costs of damages around $500,000, according to Doyle. Three cars and a boat were also destroyed.
Some firefighters were treated at the scene for heat-related illnesses, officials said. Two firefighters were taken to hospitals. One was treated for heat and exertion and the other for injuries during the fire response.
Doyle said both firefighters had been released from the hospital as of Thursday.
"When you think about it, it’s just stuff. No one got hurt," Brian Harnois, said. Harnois' family owns a camp next door, which has some exterior damage. He's not sure the extent of the damage yet, as there had reportedly been a lot of smoke inside the home.
"Unfortunately there’s stuff to deal with, but everyone we’ve talked to said that as long as everybody’s OK, the stuff is just that. The important thing is everybody’s alive," he said.
A dog was found in the family's camp during the fire. It was let out by a neighbor and is ok, the fire department said.
The Office of the State Fire Marshal is investigating the cause of the fire. Doyle said while the cause of the fire is not known, debris in the yard played a factor in its spread. He said the pine needles and twigs plus a bit of wind caused the fire to spread quickly.
He is urging people to remove twigs, piles of dry leaves, pinecones, etc. from their yards to help prevent a similar situation.
Fire departments from Raymond, Gray, New Gloucester, Poland, Windham, Casco, Standish, Bridgton, Naples, Westbrook, and North Yarmouth assisted during the response. About 40 firefighters were on scene during the fire, according to the fire department.
Maine Forest Rangers also responded to the scene because of the spread of the fire through the woods, the release stated.
The fire rekindled Thursday morning, which officials said is common when firefighters cannot move or get through large amounts of debris. Raymond Fire and Rescue responded to extinguish the flare-up.
Officials said heavy equipment would be brought in to move the piles of debris and rekindles could also happen during that debris removal process.
Raymond Fire and Rescue also issued the following reminder to Mainers: "Due to the several strong winter storms this year, there is an abundance of debris from the trees. It’s best to get the debris (leaves, limbs, sticks) cleaned up which can help mitigate fire from spreading, whether at camp or at home. If you decide to burn your brush or have a camp fire, be sure to have 2 adults available to tend the fires. Also have hand tools and a bucket of water (or water hose) near by. Just a little wind can move spread fire very fast. Be sure to obtain a fire permit for any outdoor fire larger than 3ft x 3ft in your city or town."