SANDY RIVER PLANTATION — Two condos at Rock Pond Condominiums at Saddleback Mountain were destroyed by fire Tuesday and three others were saved in a hard-fought battle by 75 firefighters from 15 towns, Rangeley Fire Rescue Chief Tim Pellerin said Wednesday night.
The condos were not occupied and no injuries were reported, he said.
He estimated the loss at over $850,000.
Pellerin said Sgt. Kenneth MacMaster of the State Fire Marshal’s Office was at the scene Wednesday to try to determine the cause and will return next week.
Pellerin said there were a number of adverse conditions firefighters had to contend with:
• Nine tankers hauled water from a hydrant 8 miles from the scene;
• It was snowing and winds gusted to 30 mph;
• The roads were slippery for the large firetrucks laden with water;
• The temperature was cold; and
• The condos were above the main lodge.
The chief said it took 17 minutes from the time the call came in at 4:06 p.m. for his trucks to get to the scene. When they arrived, Condo 28 was engulfed in flames and had spread to the attached Condo 26.
Ten feet away was a triplex of condos that were minimally damaged by heat, he said.
“My plan was that Unit 28 was already gone … Unit 26 was probably not savable, so we concentrated on saving the triplex units,” he said.
It took 3½ hours to bring the fire under control, he said.
“Ultimately in the end, the plan worked,” he said. “We were able to save the triplex. “
He estimated damage to those three units — Nos. 30, 32 and 34 — at between $1,500 and $2,000.”
“It was a great team effort,” the chief said. “We kept everybody safe. The reason we were successful is because of the great teamwork by everybody.”
He credited mechanic Richard Pepin and Paul and Mike Koob of Koob’s garage in Oquossoc with helping thaw out frozen fire trucks.
Pellerin also credited others for their help.
“A huge thank you to all the mutual aid companies who traveled long distances to assist us in controlling this fast-moving fire,” Pellerin wrote on a Facebook post. “Great job to team Rangeley on a tough initial battle, to NorthStar EMS (ambulance), Franklin County (Sheriff’s Office), Rangeley (Police Department), and Franklin County Communications (dispatchers) for all your help. A special thanks to Farmington Fire (Rescue Department) for their help with command and interior operations.”
Pellerin said he did not have a complete list of the condo owners, but most were from outside Maine.
Staff Editor Mary Delamater contributed to this report.
Two condominiums at Rock Pond Condominiums at Saddleback Mountain in Sandry River Plantation are engulfed in flames late Tuesday afternoon. There were no injuries, but damage was estimated at over $800,000.
Two condos at Rock Pond Condominiums were destroyed Tuesday at Saddleback Mountain in Sandy River Plantation and three others were saved, according to Rangeley Fire Rescue Chief Tim Pellerin. Damage was estimated at over $850,000. No injuries were reported.