Monmouth firefighters battled a fire in a single-family home on Route 135 for five hours at the height of Tuesday’s blizzard.

Monmouth Fire Chief Dan Roy said no one was injured in the fire, which was reported at 9:30 p.m. But the home may be a total loss.

Firefighters from Winthrop use a ladder truck late Tuesday to spray a stream of water through an opening in the roof of a home at 554 Route 135 in Monmouth. "Everyone was just encrusted with ice," said Monmouth Fire Chief Dan Roy. Courtesy of Monmouth Fire Department

Monmouth firefighter Josh Reny fights the fire that broke out Tuesday night in a home on Route 135 in Monmouth. Courtesy of Monmouth Fire Department

Monmouth firefighter Josh Reny uses a ground ladder to fight a fire that burned a single-family Tuesday night in home in Monmouth. Courtesy of Monmouth Fire Department

Public works crews cleared the road leading to the home, but some rescue personnel got stuck in their driveways on the way to the fire.

The two-story home, at 554 Route 135, was home to Craig Moody, who was there Tuesday night, and his wife and two children, who were spending the night elsewhere, Roy said.

The home had heating problems, Roy said, but he didn’t think they caused the fire.

Moody, who was there to clear snow and work on the house, got out unharmed.

Fire crews from Monmouth, Winthrop, Wales, Leeds and Greene fought the fire, Roy said.

“We basically chased that fire all over the house,” Roy said. “Over the years they had done a lot of renovations and additions. They built walls over walls and floors over floors, so there were a lot of void spaces where the fire extended and was concealed. … The damage is extensive. I think it’s going to end up being a total loss.”

High winds fanned the fire, and heavy snow and freezing rain complicated the situation, Roy said.

“The blizzard conditions made it very challenging to get to the incident,” Roy said. “Once there, we had deep snow. We had to extend hoses. Three or four firefighters slipped on the ice. It was almost like freezing rain in between all the snow falling. Everyone was just encrusted with ice.”

Moody turned down the assistance of the American Red Cross and said he would be staying with a friend. The home was insured, Roy said.

Roy, a private fire investigator, still did not know Wednesday what caused the fire, but he said “it was probably something accidental.” More than 3 feet of water ended up in the basement, and Roy was waiting for the water to recede before returning to inspect the damage.

Charles Eichacker can be contacted at 621-5642 or at:

ceichacker@centralmaine.com

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