Published on Thursday, Mar 1, 2012 at 12:12 am | Last updated on Thursday, Mar 1, 2012 at 12:12 am
LEWISTON — Tenants fled a two-story apartment house at 160 Pine St. Wednesday night after a trash can went up in flames on the first floor.
Firefighters were called to the scene at about 6 p.m. after smoke filled both floors of the building near the corner of Howe Street.
A man who lives on the second floor was at home when he smelled and saw smoke filling the halls.
"I told my wife to call the Fire Department," he said. "When a building is filling up with smoke, you don't want to mess around."
Fire crews were there moments later and the first firefighters in found the source of the blaze on the first floor.
Fire crews made quick work of the flames and then set up fans to clear the rest of the building.
Fire investigator Paul Ouellette was called to investigate the cause. Meanwhile, police questioned the man who lives on the first floor, who was recently evicted.
No charges were filed.
According to Ouellette, the fire started in a metal trash can in the enclosed laundry room. However, the cause of the blaze remained under investigation.
Damage was confined to the laundry room, Ouellette said.
Nobody was hurt but traffic came to a halt along Pine Street as police closed it at Howe Street.
