Two separate fires that broke out within minutes of each other this morning in Biddeford — one involving a house at 28 Raymond St. and another a sawmill at 50 Buzzell Road — are under control.

The sawmill fire started at 9:10 a.m. while the sawmill owner, whose name was not available from the Biddeford Fire Department,  was making shake shingles in the open-sided wooden structure. The building and equipment inside were destroyed.

Additional Photos

A firefighter battles the fire at 28 Raymond St. in Biddeford Saturday morning March 31, 2012. Shawn Patrick Ouellette / Staff Photographer

Firefighters battles the fire at 28 Raymond St. in Biddeford on Saturday morning March 31, 2012. Shawn Patrick Ouellette / Staff Photographer

The sawmill owner received a minor injury but no one else was hurt. Cause of the blaze is under investigation, said Fire Captain Jason Wheeler.

Minutes later some of the firefighters on the way to the sawmill fire were diverted to the Raymond Street house fire. A neighbor reported flames and heavy smoke at the two-story single-family home, which was unoccupied at the time of the fire.

Fire Chief Joseph Warren said the home was heavily damaged by the fire. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

The fire started on the front porch of the house which is owned by Albert Pelletier. Firefighters removed two dogs from the house but two cats are missing. No one was hurt, the chief said. Firefighters from surrounding communities helped extinguish the blaze.

He said firefighters at the house fire were hampered by the lack of equipment because of the Buzzell Road fire. They had to climb on ladders to get on top of the roof to create ventilation holes because the ladder trucks were busy at the sawmill fire.

Warren said he has dealt with only a couple of simultaneous structure fires in his career.

“We had issues but I am amazed and happy to report nobody was hurt,” said Warren.

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