A large explosion shook the ground in Bangor at about 6 p.m. Monday, causing a thick, black column of smoke to fill the skies.

Shortly afterward, sirens wailed as fire crews from Bangor and neighboring towns responded to battle a fully involved structure fire at an apartment building at 11 Center Street Avenue.

Crowds gathered in the area near the one-way street, which is close to the city's downtown. Police diverted traffic away from the area and kept onlookers at a distance.

Two buildings were destroyed. No one was injured, according to WABI-TV 5. The State Fire Marshal's Office is investigating.

UPDATE: Public Safety spokesperson Shannon Moss says, at this point, the State Fire Marshal's Office believes the cause of the fire was accidental. We'll update this story as more details become available.

Chris Popper
Chris Popper
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Jeff Tuttle
Jeff Tuttle
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LOOK: Full List of the Best Places to Live in Maine

Stacker compiled a list of the best places to live in Maine using data from Niche. Niche ranks places to live based on a variety of factors including cost of living, schools, health care, recreation, and weather. Cities, suburbs, and towns were included. Listings and images are from realtor.com. On the list, there's a robust mix of offerings from great schools and nightlife to high walkability and public parks.

Some areas have enjoyed rapid growth thanks to new businesses moving to the area, while others offer glimpses into area history with well-preserved architecture and museums. Keep reading to see if your hometown made the list.

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