LISBON

Ten people escaped an early morning fire on Route 196 Friday.

The fire was reported by a tenant who lived in a garage apartment, who woke residents in the nearby house, which included seven children and two adults. Lisbon firefighters were called to 381 Lisbon St. at 3:50 a.m.

Lisbon Fire Chief Nate LeClair said a police officer was first to arrive on the scene and reported there was a garage on fire. When LeClair arrived, he found the detached garage ablaze. Flames were threatening to spread to the house, located about10 feet away. By the time crews had set up, the fire had spread to the main structure and then entered the kitchen.

With the garage overcome by flames, firefighters focused on saving the house. With few firefighters responding from Lisbon at 4 a.m., LeClair called for additional firefighters from Sabattus, Topsham, Durham and Lewiston to help keep the fire from spreading to the eaves and attic, which can happen quickly with old, balloon-style construction.

Firefighters later learned half of the garage had been converted into an apartment that was home to a single tenant.

The garage and a mini van are destroyed. The kitchen of the house sustained fire damage and the house had smoke damage throughout. The American Red Cross is helping the displaced residents.

“We’re pretty lucky that we didn’t have fatalities and that the occupant in the apartment woke up when he did, because there were no working smoke detectors in the apartment or the house,” LeClair said.

LeClair said the cause of the fire was determined as accidental and likely due to smoking.

Route 196 was closed down at Mill Street and reopened at around 7 a.m.