OLD ORCHARD BEACH — Smoking materials that were improperly disposed of on a second floor deck ignited a fire that destroyed an Old Orchard Beach condominium complex and left 16 people homeless over the weekend.
The second floor and roof of an 8-unit condo building at 9 Cascade Road were heavily engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived around 9:30 p.m. Saturday. Deputy Chief Rich Kindelan said initial reports that people were trapped in the building were false and no residents or firefighters were injured.
The department struck a second alarm shortly after arriving to bring additional personnel and equipment to the scene. Because of the heavy fire on the roof, crews were evacuated from the interior of the building and firefighters transitioned to a defensive fire attack, Kindelan said.
The building where the fire started is considered a total loss. One nearby building had minor radiant heat damage to the exterior and several vehicles sustained water, smoke and heat damage.
The 16 displaced residents were assisted at the scene by the American Red Cross.
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