‘Massive’ Turner fire destroys buildings, cars worth about $500,000

TURNER — An accidental fire destroyed two buildings and between 10 to 15 cars Friday morning at Hanson Auto Sales on Route 4 across from Twitchell’s Airport.

Hours after the blaze was under control, fire officials said total damage from the fire may top $500,000.

According to Turner tax records, the property is owned by James and Kathy Hanson and is assessed at close to $250,000.

Turner and Auburn were the first departments to respond to the 10:10 a.m. call and were later joined by six other departments.

The fire was initially reported as a car fire. Within 15 minutes, it spread to multiple buildings and cars. One witness at the scene called the fire “massive,” with heavy black smoke pouring from the buildings. The smoke could be seen miles away at Auburn Plaza.

Witnesses at the scene said the fire started with a spark in the garage.

According to a clerk at Bryant’s Irving, a gas and convenience store on Route 4 across from the scene, “the fire started in the garage bay and spread to the entire garage.

“It’s exploding,” she said. “The trees around it are on fire, the house next to it is on fire.”

The Irving station shut down the gas pumps, she said, as firefighters worked to control the flames.

Jen Casey, a secretary at Twitchell’s Airport, said she could hear explosion after explosion.

“It’s been going on for a half-hour,” she said. “I think the house is a total loss. It’s a big, black, fiery mess right now.”

“I just hope everybody got out,” she added.

Witnesses at the scene reported that members of the Hanson family were able to get out and stood near the property, watching firefighters work.

The airport did not close, but Casey said employees watched progress of the fire across the road.

Police closed Route 4 at that site, detouring traffic down Townsend Brook Road around the scene. A Public Works crew set up signs to slow traffic on the major north-south highway.

At 11:30 a.m., there was still heavy smoke rising from the debris; Route 4 was reopened at 3 p.m., but emergency responders were expected to be on site for several hours longer, according to Androscoggin County Chief Deputy William Gagne.

At 11:40, Auburn Fire Chief Geoff Lowe held a news conference at the scene to announce that no one was injured. Investigators believe the fire was accidental, he said.

Lost to flames were both buildings and several cars, including a specialty race car designed to reach speeds of up to 230 mph. A Harley-Davidson motorcycle also burned in the blaze, Turner Fire Chief Rodney Guptill said.

“There was a lot of irreplaceable stuff in there,” he said.

He estimated total damages at $450,000 to $500,000 but said that amount may climb higher.

There were employees inside the business working on cars when the fire started, officials said, but it was not immediately known if their work contributed to the blaze.

Auburn firefighters set up a pumping site at the boat launch at Lake Auburn and Turner set up at the Nezinscot River behind the Town Office to transport water. Poland Spring Water Co. sent a tanker of water to assist, but that water was not needed.

Other departments at the scene included Norway, Paris, Buckfield, Livermore, Canton and Sumner.