BUXTON, Maine — Improperly disposed cigarette butts are believed to have started a house fire in Buxton, leaving one man unable to stay in his home, according to Buxton's fire chief.
Chief Nathan Schools said the first started around 1:30 p.m. Monday on Parker Farm Road, near the Hollis town line. He said Hollis firefighters arrived on scene first and found a passerby who had stopped and used a garden hose to start spraying water on the flames.
Schools said firefighters from Buxton also responded and got the fire completely extinguished in just over one hour.
He said the homeowner, a man in his 30s, got out safe, but he did get treated for smoke inhalation.
During the investigation, Schools said they found a plastic can on the deck holding cigarette ashes, which they believe started the fire. He said the fire traveled into an exterior wall from the first floor up to the second floor. Crews had to remove the exterior wall to put out the flames, making the home unlivable. Schools estimated the damage was about $50,000.
Schools said this incident was the fifth all-hands fire or worse that the Buxton Fire Department has responded to in the last 33 days.
"We've been extremely busy with structure, wood, and brush fires," Schools said. "Our mutual aid has gotten a workout."
Schools said they rely on the mutual aid of other towns to help respond to scenes or to backfill fire departments when all trucks get dispatched.
"It's not just your town's fire department," he said. "This shows the strength of our mutual aid partners."