KITTERY, Maine Fire Department crews are responding to a fire at a house at 10 Lewis Road, a department dispatcher confirmed Tuesday morning.
Police Chief Robert Richter said both occupants of the house are safe without injury outside of the house and the home was engulfed in flames. It looks like a total loss, but that will be up to the fire department (to determine), he said.
Both Lewis Road and Route 1 were shut down as crews continue working to extinguish the fire.
Members of the York Village Fire Station and Eliot Fire Department were among the crews that responded to the scene.
Power outages, toppled utility poles and trees were reported around the Seacoast following as heavy winds hit the area overnight Monday and throughout Tuesday.
Winds of 20 to 30 mph, with gusts up to 55 mph were in the forecast. Drivers were advised by utilities to look out for and avoid downed power lines.
In Portsmouth, residents took to Facebook early Tuesday morning to share images of a large tree fallen on Middle Street due to forceful wind gusts occurring across the region.
Resident Andrew Bagley posted that he and his family lost power around 7:30 a.m. after he “heard a pop” and walked outside to discover the tree snapped and blocking the road.
EXETER – Assistant Fire Chief Justin Pizon said he can begin to see the “light at the end of the tunnel” as he and his fellow firefighters and EMTs prepare to launch mobile COVID-19 vaccination clinics for eligible residents.
Starting March 4, members of the Fire Department tapped by the Seacoast Public Health Network will begin vaccinating residents and staff at the Exeter Housing Authority. He said over the next several weeks, firefighters will fan out to 10 communities for people age 55-plus.
Pizon said firefighters will also make several individual house calls over the next several weeks to reach elderly residents who are unable to leave their home to go to the National Guard’s vaccination site in the Exeter High School football stadium parking lot.
Fire chief pushing state for Portsmouth COVID vaccine site
PORTSMOUTH Fire Chief Todd Germain said he is still working to try to get the state to open a COVID-19 vaccination site in the city.
“I do know that the state is actively pursuing locations in several communities in our area. They have identified a site in our city and visited that site to see if it’s a viable option, but there hasn’t been any decision made at this point,” Germain told the City Council this week.
He also tried to partner with the state on opening a site, but that has not yet been successful.