Firefighters rescued an Arundel woman trapped in her smoke-filled home early Sunday and extinguished a fire in the basement. Fire officials say the initial investigation appears to show the fire was caused by the heating system. Kennebunk Fire Rescue photo
ARUNDEL – Firefighters rescued a 72-year-old Arundel woman from her smoke-filled home on Limerick Road early Sunday after she called 911 to say she was trapped inside.
The woman, whose name was not released, was treated for smoke inhalation at a Biddeford hospital.
Kennebunk Fire Chief Justin Cooper said dispatchers alerted Arundel Fire-Rescue with automatic mutual aid from Kennebunk Fire Rescue at 2:18 a.m. March 19 when the homeowner called 911 to say there was smoke in the residence.
Cooper arrived with Arundel fire crews. He said when the front door was open, crews immediately encountered jet black smoke from floor to ceiling.
Firefighter Zach Audet and Cooper located and quickly removed the woman.
“The dispatcher could still be heard reassuring the victim,” as she was being removed from the home, Cooper said in a news release. Kennebunk Fire Capt. Nate Howe and the Arundel crew then entered with the hose line and found fire in the basement. Additional automatic aid from Kennebunk, Goodwins Mills Fire-Rescue, Kennebunkport Emergency Emergency Medical Services ambulance and a Kennebunkport engine arrived to assist.
The fire was quickly extinguished, said Cooper.
He said the cause of the fire initially appears to be from the heating system. The fire marshal’s office has been contacted and will follow up with further investigation.
A woman was rescued from her smoke-filled Arundel home and firefighters quickly extinguished a basement fire early Sunday, March 19. The woman was treated for smoke inhalation. Kennebunk Fire Rescue photo
“There were no working smoke detectors found in the residence,” said Cooper, and he urged everyone to ensure they have working smoke detectors throughout their homes.
He said the Limerick Road incident also shows the importance of the emergency response system.
“From dispatch, who was able to gather the information and relay it to responders, an automatic mutual system reinforced by monthly tri-town training, and staffed fire/ems stations that immediately responded to the emergency and were able to affect the rescue and then extinguish the fire,” everyone came together, he said.
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