VASSALBORO — A two-bay garage at the corner of Route 3 and Legion Park Road was destroyed on Friday morning after a fire and multiple explosions caused it to collapse.

The building, at 1658 North Belfast Road, housed Vannah Yard Care, which was described by authorities at the scene as an excavating business.

The fire began while the owner and five to six employees were out at lunch, which prompted a neighbor to call 911. None of the employees or the owner were injured in the fire.

Maine State Police trooper Don Webber was the first at the scene after receiving the call at 11:50 a.m., according to State Police Lt. Jason Madore.

Madore said there were multiple explosions inside the building, but was unable to identify the cause.

The Vassalboro Fire Department arrived at 12:04 p.m. to find the garage completely engulfed, according to Chief Walker Thompson.

Advertisement

The cause of the fire wasn’t immediately known, but Thompson said there were propane heaters inside.

China and South China firefighters also responded to the call, as did the Kennebec County Sheriff’s Office and Delta Ambulance.

By 12:45 p.m., the garage had collapsed and everything inside had been destroyed as firefighters continued to douse the flames. A nearby building blocked in by fire trucks was apparently undamaged.

The owner of Vannah Lawn Care was moving rubble with an excavator at the scene but declined to comment.

The Office of the State Fire Marshal was contacted to investigate the scene.


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.

filed under: