A Thursday fire damaged part of a Presque Isle building but resulted in no injuries, fire officials said.
Crews responded at about 1:50 p.m. to 9 Parsons St., a three-story commercial building owned by Sunny Side Land Holdings, according to city tax maps.
The building is being renovated and was unoccupied, the Presque Isle Fire Department said in a release on social media.
Part of the building was significantly damaged, but firefighters were able to keep the flames from spreading throughout the remaining structure.
The cause of the fire is being investigated, but likely originated near a wood heating stove which was running, officials said.
The event was the latest in a weeklong string of fires in The County and elsewhere in Maine.
Some are under investigation, like a major Fort Fairfield blaze on Dec. 8 that displaced three people and killed two cats, and involved extensive mutual aid from other local fire departments. Most of the others involved either wood or pellet stoves or space heaters, prompting local fire officials to urge caution.
“This time of year, especially because it’s been so cold so early in the season, people are kind of being caught unprepared,” said Firefighter-EMT Matt Russell of Caribou Fire and Ambulance. “We just want people to use approved heating methods.”
Among this week’s fires that have involved heating equipment was a Dec. 6 blaze in Van Buren that destroyed two adjacent buildings and displaced one man. A home at 58 Main St. and an unoccupied commercial structure at 56 Main St. were lost.
An official cause hasn’t been determined, but officials said a pellet stove was likely to blame. The man was treated for smoke inhalation.
That same day, Fort Fairfield firefighters responded to a garage fire at 8 Bower St., Assistant Fire Chief Danny Gahagan said via social media. Crews were there for three hours and knocked down the fire before it spread to the adjacent home. A faulty woodstove was the cause. No injuries were reported.
Elsewhere in Maine, a 77-year-old woman died in Windsor on Tuesday during a home fire that officials believe was related to space heaters. Last Friday, fire broke out at a two-story home in Bangor. The blaze started in the basement, where the homeowner was thawing frozen pipes, Bangor Assistant Fire Chief Chad Bean said. No one was injured.
Home heating equipment is the second leading cause of house fires, according to the American Red Cross.
Every home should have working smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, according to Gahagan. People should also keep supplemental heating sources clear of combustible materials, and should establish two escape routes in case of emergency.
As winter settles in, some people may be burning unseasoned wood or prohibited materials in stoves, or using space heaters, Russell said. And while many space heaters are labeled safe for indoor use, users should follow manufacturers’ directions carefully.
Many people may not know that they don’t have to bear the full brunt of heating costs on their own, Russell said. Those who may be struggling can reach out to the Aroostook County Action Program or municipal general assistance.
Having fully staffed fire departments is also key.
“Outcomes are really helped by having proper staffing,” Russell said. “Not having people to put out these fires very quickly can compound them.”
