French Fries Spark Maine Apartment Blaze

Fire investigators say a woman making a late night snack of french fries sparked a fire in a Pittsfield, Maine, apartment building that left 12 people homeless.

The fire late Saturday night into Sunday morning started when a woman in a third-floor apartment left the kitchen briefly and the grease caught fire.

Everyone, including the building’s owner, made it out of the six-unit home safely, although one firefighter suffered a minor injury.

Firefighters from Pittsfield, Newport, Skowhegan, Burnham and St. Albans responded to the scene. Crews battled hotspots until about 6:30 a.m. Sunday.

Fire Chief Bernard Williams says the third floor is a total loss but the lower floors may be salvageable. He says the building’s owner did not have insurance.

The Red Cross is helping the displaced residents.