The Office of State Fire Marshal is investigating a fire that occurred Monday on Albion Road in Unity that destroyed a barn, damaged an adjacent mobile home and vinyl siding on two garages and caused spot fires across the road, according to Unity fire Chief Blaine Parsons.
Parsons said in a press release Tuesday morning that when fire crews arrived at the scene of the fire, reported around 1 p.m., the 40-by-60-foot, two-story barn was fully engulfed and the fire had extended to the mobile home.
“The fire also extended to a half-ton pickup,” Parsons said. “Crews worked very quickly to knock down the fire on the mobile home, saving the main structure and contents inside.”
He said the garages that had vinyl siding damaged were located on either side of the barn. Firefighters contained the spot fires across the road, he said.
He said the cause of the fire is undetermined and the case was turned over to the fire marshal’s office for investigation.
Sgt. Joel Davis of the Fire Marshal’s Office had not immediately returned a call placed Tuesday morning to that office.
Parsons said at the scene Monday that he did not have the names of those who live in the mobile home, nor did he know how many people live there.
In response to an email Tuesday, Parsons said the owner of the property is Jolean Tupper. A phone number listed for Tupper on Whitepages says her number has been disconnected or is no longer in service.
People familiar with the case said Melissa Tucker lives in the mobile home, but asked in an email if she is the occupant, Parsons responded, “I’m not sure.” Contacted by Facebook Tuesday morning to comment on the fire, Tucker declined to comment. Her Facebook page says she is a stay-at-home parent.
“If everyone could say a little prayer for us that would be great (it’s) been a rough couple days gonna be a long week,” she posted on her page early Tuesday.
Parsons said at the scene Monday afternoon that equipment in the barn was destroyed.
Firefighters from Unity, Freedom, Albion, Troy, Fairfield, Winslow, Burnham and Liberty responded to the fire, and Montville firefighters covered fire stations, according to Parsons. Thorndike firefighters covered Unity’s station, he said.
At the scene Monday, firefighters sprayed water on the remains of the barn, which included a charred and blackened frame. They used water that was hauled in with tanker trucks.
Firefighters and sheriff’s deputies prevented the media from getting close to the scene, where people they referred to as the mobile home occupants were gathered.
Waldo County Sheriff’s deputies and Unity Ambulance were at the scene. The deputies closed off the road and diverted traffic around where emergency vehicles were parked.
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