New Gloucester wildfire sparked by improperly extinguished campfire

Officials with New Gloucester Fire Rescue say an improperly extinguished campfire was the source of a wildfire Tuesday afternoon. Within the five minutes between the initial call at 3:03 p.m. and the firefighters' arrival at Brookside Drive, what was originally reported as a small outdoor fire had expanded rapidly, according to Deputy Chief Hale Fitzgerald. Chief Craig Bouchard quickly upgraded the fire to an "all hands" call, allowing more resources from nearby fire departments and station coverage. With crews from Gray Fire Rescue positioned on the other side of the fire along Interstate 95, the fire was contained within 40 minutes, according to the Deputy Chief. By then the fire had burned 3.5 acres, and it took another hour to put out any hot spots.
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Pets killed in fire at Lewiston apartment building

PHOTOS: The State Fire Marshal's Office is investigating the cause of an apartment building fire that killed several pets in Lewiston. Fire crews were called to an apartment building on Knox Street on Tuesday. When firefighters arrived, they saw flames and smokes coming from a first-floor apartment. The assistant fire chief says all residents were able to safely escape; however, three pets were killed. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
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Firefighter injured while fighting flames in Lisbon Falls

PHOTO: A firefighter is recovering after responding to the scene of a fire on Main Street in Lisbon Falls Monday morning. Lisbon Fire Chief Nathan LeClair said the firefighter received minor injuries and was treated and released at MidCoast Hospital. Crews responded to the home around 9 a.m. to find heavy fire coming from the first floor. Everyone was able to get out safely. Low staffing was a challenge, so additional departments were called to help, according to Chief LeClair. A family of three was displaced and connected with the Red Cross. While fighting the flames at the home on Main Street, another fire on Bisbee Street was reported. Responding crews found a garage fire that extended into a house. No one was hurt at this scene and crews were able to keep the fire mostly contained to the outside of the house.
WMTW-TV ABC 8 Poland Spring

Belfast hosts Battle of the Badges basketball game

VIDEO: The Belfast Police Department and Fire Department battled it out on the basketball court. Monday night was the first ever Battle of the Badges at the Belfast Area High School. The departments played a game of basketball for a fundraiser to support the Class of 2027. Funds were collected by donation and through the concessions stand. While they may have been competing, they say it’s all about having fun and supporting a good cause. “A battle of the badges between the police department and the fire department, all for a great cause for our High School Class of 2027 to help raise some funds, and so the police officers got together with the firefighters and came up with this awesome idea to kind of have fun and a little friendly rivalry between the two departments,” Belfast Police Chief Bob Cormier said.
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