AUBURN, Maine_ Fire officials in Auburn say no one was injured when a fire broke out at a residence at 33 Joseph Lane, late on New Year's Day.
On arrival just after 11 PM, members of the Auburn, Lewiston, Poland, Mechanic Falls, and Minot Fire Departments found the living room of the one and a half storey home engulfed in flames.
The sole occupant was home at the time in the basement, and had just lit a fire in the fireplace. Auburn Deputy Chief Geoff Low says it initially appears that combustible materials stored too near the unguarded firebox were inadvertently set alight. Smoke detectors alerted the home owner to the fire upstairs.
The building suffered extensive damage, and according to Low, will likely be a total loss.
The fire is under investigation.
