STARKS — A fire started from unattended candles destroyed a house on Chicken Street early Sunday, leaving a woman and her pets homeless, according to Fire Chief Julie Costigan.

Carla Oliver had lit some candles and fallen asleep but woke in time to discover the fire and rescue her two dogs and a cat from the two-story home, Costigan said

Costigan was the first to respond to the fire, which was reported at 1:05 a.m. and occurred about 1.5 miles from the center of town and a mile from Costigan’s home.

“She’s very devastated because she lost everything,” Costigan said later Sunday of Oliver. “She’s had a very rough year. She lost her husband not even a year ago.”

Costigan said Oliver’s son and daughter-in-law had been living in a camper that was drawing electricity from the home, but they were away for a week and had taken the camper with them.

Oliver was not hurt in the fire, she said.

“She could see the whole house in full flames. … She was very lucky.”

About 30 firefighters from Starks, Anson, Madison and Skowhegan battled the blaze, clearing the scene at 4:45 a.m., according to Costigan.

A&M Ambulance stood by at the scene and Central Maine Power Co. shut off power to the house. A Somerset County Sheriff’s deputy also responded to the fire, according to a sheriff’s dispatcher.

Costigan said one firefighter fell through a hole in the floor of the house but was able to get back out of it and was not injured.

“When I got on scene, it (fire) hadn’t broke through at all — it was just breathing,” Costigan said. “You could see it puffing out from the eaves and vents.”

When the fire broke through the windows, the house went up in flames.

“It was very, very hot,” she said.

Oliver, whose home was insured, will be staying with relatives, according to Costigan.

“The Red Cross is helping her, and there will probably be a benefit for her here in the town,” Costigan said. “A donation jar has been put at Starks General Store.”

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