Lewiston families left homeless as former funeral home burns

LEWISTON — A fast-moving grease fire destroyed the first floor at 101 Pine St. early Saturday afternoon, leaving 10 people homeless Fire Inspector Paul Ouellette said police received a call for help at about 1:15 p.m. A woman in the apartment had been heating oil to cook dough for lunch when a grease fire erupted. She tried unsuccessfully to put it out before fire crawled up the walls and kitchen cabinets before reaching the ceiling. The first floor was a total loss, Ouellette said. At 2:20 p.m. he was still waiting to go inside to inspect the rest of the building, which is owned by Joe Dunn. Two parents, a daughter and a granddaughter lived in the first-floor unit where the fire started. Two cats were saved from the fire, but a dog was killed. No people were injured. Authorities did not know how many other units the building had. The 1850 Victorian at the corner of Pine and Pierce streets was a funeral home until 2009. "You should always pre-heat or cook your food at the lowest temperature possible," Ouellette said Saturday night. "I found the pan (where the fire started.) The burner burnt through the bottom of the pan."