GORHAM – Investigators from the State Fire Marshal’s Office had yet to determine Monday afternoon the cause of a late afternoon fire on Easter that destroyed a two-car garage at the home at 215 Buck St. in Gorham.

However, Gorham Fire Chief Robert Lefebvre said, “We’re listing it as suspicious. It’s still under investigation.”

The blaze at about 4 p.m. followed three recent fires in unoccupied Gorham buildings that the fire marshal’s office has ruled as arson.

The garage fire, said Steve McCausland, spokesman for the Maine Department of Public Safety, was within 1,000 yards of the first of the three recent arson fires.

“The Sunday afternoon fire was located around the corner from a fire two weeks earlier that damaged an abandoned house and was the first of three known arson fires in the town in the past two weeks,” McCausland reported Monday.

McCausland said an electrical inspector would examine the charred rubble on Tuesday. McCausland said a pickup truck stored in the garage was also destroyed.

Lefebvre said at the scene Sunday that no one was home at the time of the garage fire. He said the garage was served by electricity.

Gorham Police Chief Ronald Shepard and Sgt. Sears Edwards of Gorham police responded to the scene on Buck Street on Sunday.

McCausland said investigators don’t know whether the latest fire was connected to the three previous fires. He said the fire marshal’s office is working closely with Gorham police and fire department in the investigations.

McCausland urged Gorham residents to keep their lights on and keep a close eye on their neighborhoods.

Lefebvre said residents should “stay vigilant” and to report anything out of the ordinary.

Anyone seeing any activity around Buck Street Sunday afternoon is asked to contact the Gorham Police Department at 839-5581 or the Office of the State Fire Marshal in Augusta at 624-7076.

Gorham Fire Chief Robert Lefebvre, right, confers with firefighters at a blaze Sunday that destroyed a two-car garage at 215 Buck St. in Gorham. Investigators are asking the public to report activity on Buck Street on Sunday. (Staff photo by Robert Lowell)
Firefighters confer at the scene of a garage fire at 215 Buck St. in Gorham Sunday afternoon. The garage was destroyed. (Staff photo by Robert Lowell)