Thawing Frozen Pipes Cause of Bangor Fire

Fire officials remind residents to never use an open flame to thaw frozen pipes after a house fire in Bangor on Saturday.

In a post on the Bangor Fire Department's Facebook page, officials say a fire on Palm Street Saturday was the result of a tenant thawing frozen pipes in the basement of the two-unit building. The tenant was using an open flame when it ignited the fire, and then delayed calling 911 while he tried to put it out himself. By the time crews were called at around 8:00 Saturday morning, there was already heavy smoke in the house.

The blaze was knocked down in about an hour and the tenants were all able to get out safely but two firefighters were injured at the scene. WABI-TV reports one suffered chest pains due to exhaustion while another fell on the ice.

Fire officials advise using a hair dryer to thaw frozen pipes, rather than using anything with an open flame. As preventative measures, they advise letting water run in cold temperatures and/or installing foam sleeves around the pipes.