Quick actions on the part of the Vinalhaven Fire Department allowed for the majority of a house to remain standing after fire broke out Thursday, June 18.
Just before 12:30 a.m., occupants of a house on Mack’s Pond Road escaped out a first-floor window as flames spread up a wall on the exterior side of the structure and into the roof, according to Vinalhaven Fire Chief Marc Candage.
Initial responders arrived on scene, within 8 minutes of the dispatch from Knox Regional Communications Center, and found heavy fire at the rear of the building.
An outside sand bucket was the habitual disposal site of smoking materials by a smoker who lived in the house, according to the chief. Further investigation by the state fire marshal’s office determined that on this particular occasion, improper extinguishment of smoking materials led to the nighttime flareup.