Saco Deputy Fire Chief Robert Martin said lightning struck a utility pole on Cumberland Avenue on Wednesday afternoon, completely destroying the pole and blowing a transformer. The neighborhood lost power for a period of time.
At about 1:45 p.m., around the same time the utility pole was struck, a fire started at a nearby four-unit condo unit at 42 Cumberland Ave.
The unit where the fire started was unoccupied at the time of the fire. No one in the building was injured, said Martin.
He said the unit had moderate fire, heat and smoke damage in the basement and minor smoke damage on the first and second floors.
Martin said the cause of the fire is believed to be electrical in nature, but the blaze is still under investigation.
He said some cleanup and repairs will need to be made at the unit where the fire occurred before it can be occupied. He said residents of the other units will have to vacate the building at least for a night as plumbing was damaged during the fire and the electricity has been temporarily shut off until its safety can be verified.
— Staff Writer Liz Gotthelf can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 325 or egotthelf@journaltribune.com.
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