Christmas Day fire destroys Clinton home

CLINTON — A Christmas Day fire destroyed a mobile home on Gustafson Road, officials said.

No one was home when the fire was reported by a neighbor around 12:52 a.m. Wednesday, Randy Caswell, Clinton’s second deputy fire chief, said Thursday.

The state fire marshal’s office is investigating the cause. The house at 114 Gustafson Road is a total loss.

When Caswell arrived on scene, he said the house was completely engulfed in flames, with fire coming out of the windows and door.

Although it was Christmas and the start of Hanukkah on Wednesday, approximately 40 to 45 firefighters arrived on scene to help fight the blaze. Normally, he said, about 15 people respond to a fire.

A Christmas Day fire destroyed a home Wednesday at 114 Gustafson Road in Clinton. The home is a total loss and authorities say no injuries were reported. Photo courtesy of Clinton Fire Department

“We had a really good team…a bunch of people left the dinner table. They didn’t eat, they just jumped in their trucks, left the dinner table and went straight to the station to get on the fire trucks. We had three trucks on the road in three minutes. Around Christmas, it was amazing to see people come out and abandon their Christmas traditions to make sure the situation was taken care of,” Caswell said.

Firefighters battled the blaze for about four hours, with Clinton firefighters sounding a second alarm to call for additional crews.

Because Gustafson Road is outside the fire hydrant area in Clinton, Caswell said additional crews were needed to get water to the fire.

“We sounded the alarm before leaving the station and several towns arrived. We never ran out of water. Trucks were coming and going,” Caswell said.

Fairfield and Benton firefighters, Skowhegan firefighters, Winslow firefighters, Waterville firefighters, Caanan firefighters, Burnham firefighters assisted and Oakland firefighters led the rapid response team to the case where firefighters would be injured. Caswell said the rapid response team is a group of about four firefighters who are not helping to put out the fire, but are on scene to get medical help.

Firefighters and state investigators are examining what remains of a mobile home on Gustafson Road in Clinton that burned Wednesday. No one was home when the fire was reported on Christmas Day. (Rich Abrahamson/Morning Sentinel) Rich Abrahamson / Morning Sentinel

“Every city that came to support us knows we would help them, but we couldn’t do it without the mutual aid partners.” It’s a big effort. It stinks that someone lost their house, but it was a big effort on our part to get there and try to save some things. I’m proud of our department,” Caswell said.