THOMASTON (Nov. 1, 2023, 2 p.m.) — A tactic once considered poor practice in the realm of battling house fires instead proved to be helpful in squelching a fire on the Dunbar Road, in Thomaston, Tuesday night.

Previous thought believed that a firefighter must be inside the dwelling in order to have any effect, and therefore remaining outside and pushing water through open doors and windows is frowned upon.

However, firefighter policy also states that for every two firefighters who enter the structure, there must be at least two more firefighters waiting outside in case a rescue of the first two responders is necessary. Only if a life is at stake can this policy be overridden.

A growing number of fire agency studies are revealing that flowing water from the outside can be very effective. In Thomaston, seven minutes after the 5:03 p.m. call to 911 regarding smoke and flames visible at 44 Dunbar Road, the first two firefighters, in Thomaston Engine 3, to reach the one and a half story dwelling along a narrow dead-end road didn’t just stand around and wait for backup to arrive. They grabbed a hose off of the truck and started putting water on the fire from the front door, holding the flames in check.

“The timely arrival of the first crew, and properly executed tactics, resulted in loss stopped nearly on arrival,” said Thomaston Fire Chief Mike Mazzeo. “That action confined the fire to the area of origin allowing the other fire crews to arrive, quickly establish a water supply from a nearby pond, and fully extinguish the fire.”

Those crews would eventually swell in number to approximately 30 firefighters staffing nine pieces of fire apparatus.

An equally key component, according to Mazzeo, was the speedy setup and flow of that water.

“This is a narrow dead end road without hydrants, making the establishment of water supply difficult to say the least,” said Mazzeo.

Along with what was already in the tanker trucks, the only replenish-able source of water was a nearby pond.

Therefore, water needed to be drawn from this pond, to a holding pool set up on Hannan Street, and forwarded to the scene. Mazzeo credits the mutual aid companies from Warren, South Thomaston and Cushing with quickly establish a constant water supply that was not interrupted – “a key component to the success of the operation,” he said.

Waldo County Communications took the 9-1-1 call and Knox County Communications dispatched and coordinated the response flawlessly as they continued to handle other emergencies in both counties simultaneously, according to Mazzeo.

“While the house did suffer much damage, the quick and proper actions of the 9-1-1 call takers, dispatchers and the responding firefighters, made the building repairable,” said Mazzeo.

Mazzeo was unsure of what the room was used for that took the brunt of the smoke and fire. It was not a kitchen. The home is owned by Barbara Whitney, and though the home was occupied at the time of the 911 call, a cause has not been determined. The Fire Marshal’s Office investigated and eventually determined that the fire was caused by improper disposal of smoking materials.

Agencies involved: Waldo County Communications Center, Knox County Regional Communications Center, Thomaston FD, Thomaston EMS, Thomaston PD, South Thomaston FD Rockland FD, Warren FD, Waldoboro FD, Cushing FD, Maine State Fire Marshal’s Office and Central Maine Power.

Firefighters respond to Thomaston house fire on Halloween

THOMASTON (10/31/2023, 7:07 p.m.) — About half an hour after flames and smoke were seen in a house on Dunbar Road, in Thomaston, two healthy cats were carried away from the property. 

Just after 5 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 31, as the bright afternoon sun faded and early trick or treaters sought welcoming front porches, fire trucks from neighboring towns activated their emergency lights and sirens, and headed to 44 Dunbar Road, just off of Beechwood Street. Cushing, Warren, Rockland, South Thomaston, and Waldoboro fire departments answered the call. 

With the house and property bordered by fence, firefighters had to access the lawn and house by a side gate. But once through the gate, firefighters were able to attack the flames, which were coming from the west side of the old house.

More than an hour after the visible flames were extinguished, firefighters chopped at the rim of the roofline, teasing out smoke that had accumulated in the attic space.

A water dump tank was set up at the intersection of Dunbar and Hannan Street. 

After the initial emergency activity settled into a calmer work scene, at least one family of costumed characters was able to walk down the road and toward a more promising candy venture.

The last remaining fire units cleared the scene by 9:11 p.m.

Reach Sarah Thompson at news@penbaypilot.com