BOWDOIN – Disaster responders from the American Red Cross of Maine were working with two people Thursday to ensure that they have food, a safe place to sleep and other essentials after their home was destroyed in a fire. 

“Over the next several days, the Red Cross will be in contact with them to provide financial assistance and community referrals as they begin to make their road to recovery,” the agency stated in a press release. 

The fire at the mobile home on 1112 Main Street, which resulted in the temporary closure of the road, was reported at about 4 p.m. Bowdoin Fire Chief Tom Garrepy said there were no injuries but the home was destroyed, displacing owner Sue Adams. She was home with her grandson. Everyone got out safe, including a dog.

“She did the right thing and got out, and then called 911,” Garrepy said.

The fire was caused by a propane-powered heating device, which the homeowner was using to thaw frozen pipes, Garrepy said.

Garrepy said  the floor collapsed as the flames spread. It took crews from five fire departments more than two hours to extinguish the stubborn fire. The structure was demolished with an excavator Thursday night. The mobile home was insured.

The main challenge firefighters faced was manpower followed by water supply. Daytime calls tend to tap resources for all of the area departments, Garrepy said.

The state Department of Environmental Protection was called to the scene because the fire ruptured a fuel tank, causing an estimated couple hundred gallons of heating fuel to spill.