A fire that destroyed a camp Tuesday evening on the west shore of Maranacook Lake in Readfield was an accidental electrical fire.
Boaters on the lake reported that a house was on fire shortly before 6 p.m., and the call drew response from the Lakes Region Mutual Aid area.
Readfield Fire Chief Lee Mank said Wednesday that the building, which he described as a guest house, was a total loss.
Mank said the state fire marshal’s office notified him Wednesday morning of the result of its investigation. A call to the fire marshal’s office Wednesday was not immediately returned.
When the first firefighters, from Winthrop, arrived at the scene Tuesday, neighbors already had started wetting down the area around the building with garden hoses. Neighbors reported that flames reached a height of 10 feet above the single-story structure’s roofline.
Mank said when he arrived, some trees near the house were on fire.
Firefighters initially rigged up a modified rural hitch to link tankers together to put water on the fire, Mank said, until they deployed portable pumps in the lake.
Firefighters cleared the scene about 9:30 p.m., after monitoring the property for hot spots, particularly under the camp, where the fire is believed to have started.
“The house is right on the point, and we didn’t want any chance of a re-kindle,” Mank said.
Firefighters had found some hot spots along some pine trees by the lake and monitored the fire scene overnight.
“Luckily, the fire was now and not last August and September,” he said, referring to a time when persistent dry conditions elevated fire risks across the region. “That wouldn’t have been good.”
Town records show the property is one of three that’s owned by Thomas Baker on Nobis Point and North Camper’s Point roads.
Mank said the cabin was insured.
The area where the house was located contains a mix of year-round and seasonal dwellings accessible by a narrow private camp road.
“Fires on camp roads are few and far between,” Mank said. “But we do get some off the beaten path, and that’s one of my worst fears.”
Private camp roads tend to be narrow and not designed for heavy traffic, and each successive generation of firetrucks is heavier and bigger than the last, Mank said.
Jessica Lowell — 621-5632
Twitter: @JLowellKJ
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