OWLS HEAD — The fire that destroyed Frankie's Garage on Route 73 in Owls Head late Sunday afternoon, Feb. 10, has been attributed to a malfunctioning waste oil burner. Fire Chief Frank Ross said Feb. 12 that Maine State Fire Marshal Office investigators Kenneth MacMaster and Mary-Ann MacMaster were at the scene with him late Monday afternoon to help determine what caused the blaze that sent heavy black smoke and fire balls high into the sky.

Owls Head garage destroyed in Sunday afternoon fire.

Ross said he was relieved to officially source the cause of the fire to the oil waste burner that was inside the garage because rumors had begun to circulate on Facebook that a car had been seen driving away from the garage just as flames broke out. However, neighbors Melinda Polky and Thomas Cain II, who live across the street and were out shoveling snow off their driveway, called 911 after noticing flames erupting from the oil burner. They quickly took pictures, which were essential to the investigation, he said.

"We were really lucky," he said.

Ross said waste oil burners are "a good idea but they can be problematic," given the different mixes of fuel that feed them.

Combustion inside the furnace was apparently hot enough on Sunday afternoon to burn through the casing, which caused oil to flow out and subsequently spread fire through the garage.

Ross said the garage owner Cecil Fogg plans to rebuild his garage there on the same spot.

"That will be good for the community," said Ross.

Editorial Director Lynda Clancy can be reached at lyndaclancy@penbaypilot.com; 706-6657.