A fire that started in a garage spread to an attached home in Sanford Thursday afternoon, causing significant damage to both structures.
Capt. Eric Neubert of the Sanford Fire Department said a relative of the home’s owners had finished mowing the lawn and had placed the lawnmower in a garage at 8 Foothill Lane when the fire broke out around 3:50 p.m. Neubert said one neighbor reported hearing an explosion.
By the time firefighters arrived, the garage was engulfed in flames and the fire had started to spread to the home. Crews were able to save the home, but the residence is uninhabitable because of extensive smoke and water damage.
The property is located in a rural area and there was no easily accessible water supply except for a nearby pond. It was also hot.
“The heat wears you down, pretty quick,” Neubert said.
Neubert said eight fire departments, including a crew from Rochester, New Hampshire, responded and provided relief.
Firefighters remained at the scene for several hours in an effort to extinguish flareups. They were able to clear the scene at 8:30 p.m.
No injuries were reported.
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