AUGUSTA (AP) — Seven people were taken to a hospital and nearly two dozen in all forced out of their homes after an overnight fire in Augusta.
The fire started at about 2 a.m. and Fire Chief Roger Audette says a portion of the four-story apartment building later collapsed.
Audette says four residents of the 18-unit building who were not immediately accounted after the fire were not believed to have been home at the time of the blaze.
He says seven people were taken to Maine General Hospital with what he describes as minor injuries and smoke inhalation.
The cause of the fire was not immediately known. Audette says firefighters were still putting out hot spots several hours after the blaze started and the building is believed to be a total loss.
The Times Record Sustaining Sponsor
We believe a community must be informed to thrive. bowdoin.edu
Comments are not available on this story. Read more about why we allow commenting on some stories and not on others.
We believe it's important to offer commenting on certain stories as a benefit to our readers. At its best, our comments sections can be a productive platform for readers to engage with our journalism, offer thoughts on coverage and issues, and drive conversation in a respectful, solutions-based way. It's a form of open discourse that can be useful to our community, public officials, journalists and others.
We do not enable comments on everything — exceptions include most crime stories, and coverage involving personal tragedy or sensitive issues that invite personal attacks instead of thoughtful discussion.
You can read more here about our commenting policy and terms of use. More information is also found on our FAQs.
Show less