On March 29th the Peru, Maine Fire Department held a controlled burn. The house being burned, located on Rt 108, had been used numerous times by local fire departments and a Firefighter I class for training purposes.
The PFD was assisted by members of the surrounding towns of Andover, Canton, Dixfield, Mexico, and Rumford. Apparatus was provided by the Peru Fire Dept in the form of a pumper and a tanker and by the Dixfield Fire Co. in the form of their recently acquired Four Guys Fire Apparatus tanker truck which was seeing its first use.
After the fire was ignited, it spread quickly throughout the upper floor of the house which was fully involved within a matter of minutes. Within 15 minutes the second floor of the back portion of the house had collapsed into the first floor. Firefighters manned one 2.5" and two 1.5" hose lines to keep the radiant heat from affecting nearby power lines towards the front of the house. The entire building was burned in less than two hours and the remaining materials were to be buried in the basement.
