Caribou home fire displaces three residents

4 years ago

CARIBOU, Maine — A Nov. 1 fire in Caribou destroyed a home on 375 Belanger Road, displacing three people, according to the Caribou Fire Department and American Red Cross of Maine.

Disaster responders with the Red Cross helped the three residents find food, a place to sleep, and ensure other essential needs were met on the following day. The organization plans to “remain in contact with them to provide community referrals as they begin their road to recovery,” according to a press release.

Caribou Fire Captain Scott Jackson said the fire occurred around 5 p.m., and that while a cause has not been determined, the fire is not under investigation. 

Though no people were injured, “several dogs perished,” according to Jackson, who added that no additional information was available regarding how many animals were lost in the fire.

Jackson said nobody was inside during the fire, and that the home was not safe to enter by the time 15 firefighters arrived on the scene. The captain said Presque Isle Fire Department provided mutual aid.

The homeowner, who Jackson said he could not name, was not insured. The fire caused an estimated total of $25,000 in damage.

While Jackson was not on the scene at the time of the fire, he said firefighters had to fight against high winds while trying to extinguish the flames.