Lewiston man injured in house fire

LEWISTON — A man living at 72 Wellman St. in Lewiston was taken to a local hospital with what appeared to be minor injuries Saturday night, fire officials said.

Firefighters knocked down a blaze that appeared to start in the basement near the chimney and burned through the floor of the single-story ranch, causing "serious" damage, Fire Chief Paul LeClair said.

The flames burned through structural supports, making the floor unsafe. Firefighters cut a hole in the roof to ventilate the smoke and brought the fire under control shortly before 9 p.m.

"Everybody's out. Everybody's safe," LeClair said. A fire investigator was en route to the scene to determine the cause of the fire.