A gas station and garage, along with two connected apartments, were destroyed in a Wednesday fire in Fort Kent.
The department received a call at 11:22 a.m. that Tommy’s Service was on fire, Fort Kent Fire Chief Cole Pelletier said. About three dozen emergency personnel fought the blaze until roughly 1 p.m.
One occupant was inside one of the apartments when the fire broke out, but no injuries were reported.
The fire started in the apartment, Pelletier said. The cause has not yet been determined. The state fire marshal’s office will send staff to Fort Kent tomorrow to investigate.
Pelletier said the 242 Market St. building, which has a gas station and garage in the front with two connected apartments in the rear, has been deemed a total loss. An adjacent structure about 10 feet away from the building was saved, he said.
Fort Kent resident Rick Douglas witnessed the fire and said much of the building’s interior appeared to be destroyed.
Douglas also noted seeing emergency responders from multiple departments across the region.
“It’s just impressive how quickly everybody arrived on the scene,” he said. “Of course our fire department is one of the best in the Valley, and they’re all here trying to knock it down. They’re battling it from all sides.”
The department will investigate and conduct interviews to help determine the fire’s cause, Pelletier said.
