By Lisa Williams Ackley
Staff Writer

THE OWNER ESCAPED THE BLAZE — that took her house and barn at 131 Tenney Hill Road May 16. (Ackley Photo)

CASCO — A homeowner was able to escape a fire that destroyed her house and barn at 131 Tenney Hill Road here early Monday morning.

Fifty firefighters from six Lake Region mutual aid communities — Casco, Bridgton, Naples, Raymond, Otisfield and Sebago — braved strong winds to battle the stubborn blaze that took them 90 minutes to bring under control.

“The biggest help to us was mutual aid communities that brought their tank trucks early in the fire, and once we got the water source established, we were able to bring it under control,” said newly-elected Casco Fire Chief Jason Moen. “We had significant winds that really contributed to the fire spreading into the barn. It was very fortunate, given the current weather where it has been raining quite a bit, otherwise we would have been dealing with a woods fire, as well.”

The 20-foot by 30-foot, twostory Cape Cod-style farmhouse and 30-foot by 60-foot attached barn, known locally as the Fogg Farm, were consumed in the blaze that was reported at 2 a.m. May 16, with only the charred remains of the house still standing.

Fire Chief Moen said an investigator with the State Fire Marshal’s office has determined that the fire was not of suspicious origin and the cause was “traced back to the kitchen area and possibly the woodstove.”

Moen said the homeowner is being assisted by the American Red Cross. One firefighter from Bridgton injured his ankle, while at one of the tank refilling sites, according to Chief Moen.