Two large buildings at the Fryeburg Fairgrounds burned down Tuesday evening.
Fryeburg Fire Chief Andrew Dufresne said seven other buildings were damaged, but there were no injuries to people or animals. The department received a call about the fire around 7 p.m. and arrived to find a sheep barn engulfed in flames. Dufresne said the fire spread to an adjacent cattle shed, and both buildings were destroyed. Each one was 150 feet long and between 30 and 50 feet wide, the chief said.
“We’d estimate the damage at approximately a half million dollars,” Dufresne said.
Dufresne said he is working with the state Fire Marshal’s Office to determine the cause. The fire was under control by 9 p.m. More than 20 departments helped contain the blaze. East Conway’s department wrote on Facebook that a “quick response from many mutual aid departments and strong command got this incident under control quickly.”
The Fryeburg Fair posted a short message on its Facebook page to say that no one was injured.
“Will keep all our fairgoers posted,” it reads. “Thank you everyone for your concern.”
Dufresne said a maintenance crew had gone home for the day, and no animals were at the fairgrounds at the time of the fire. The Fryeburg Fair is held annually in late September and early October, and the chief said he expects the destroyed structures will be rebuilt in time for this year’s event.
“It’s a very important place for the residents here, as well as visitors who come here,” Dufresne said. “It’s definitely a loss that hits close to the heart, but the good news is that no one was injured.”
Nearby resident McKenzie Woodward told News Center Maine (WCSH/WLBZ) that the fire was hard to witness.
“As someone who was raised and still lives in Fryeburg this is so heartbreaking,” Woodward said. “Several generations of my family work there during the week and we love the fair.”
Megan Doyle can be contacted at 791-6327 or at: Twitter: megan_e_doyle
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