BIDDEFORD — Two separate fires started within minutes of each other Saturday morning in Biddeford – one involving a house at 28 Raymond St. and the other a sawmill at 50 Buzzell Road.

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 climbs a ladder to reach the fire at 28 Raymond St. in Biddeford on Saturday morning. No one was hurt. Shawn Patrick Ouellette/Staff Photographer

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

Minutes later, some firefighters on the way to the sawmill blaze 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 were 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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