Caribou apartment building a total loss after electrical fire

CARIBOU, Maine – Four residents were displaced after fire completely destroyed an apartment building on Main Street in Caribou Wednesday.
Caribou Fire & Ambulance received a call at 1:55 p.m. and found the building, which contains several apartment units, engulfed in flames. The fire started in the building’s electrical panel box and quickly spread to the small structure at 653 Main St., said firefighter Eric Dickinson.
Wind gusts of over 30 miles per hour contributed to the fire’s quick movement. Crews were on scene for over five hours Wednesday and stopped the flames from spreading to the Nylander Museum next door.
No one was home when the fire started. The American Red Cross is assisting the four displaced residents, Dickinson said.
A small crew from Caribou returned Thursday morning to deal with lingering smoke coming from the rubble that a passerby reported. The crew left just before 8 a.m. after putting out the hot spot.
The Maine Department of Environmental Protection is investigating whether any hazardous materials from the apartment building, such as oil, could have leaked during the fire.
“It’s not something we routinely do but because [the building] is in the middle of town, we called the DEP out of precaution,” Dickinson said.
Caribou was assisted by fire crews from Presque Isle, Fort Fairfield, Washburn, Limestone and North Lakes Fire & Rescue.