PALERMO — An unpermitted out-of-control fire on Leeman Arm Road in Palermo demolished a two-story garage Sunday afternoon, just as firefighters from neighboring towns were overhauling the scene of another Sheepscot Pond house fire just three miles away in town. Firefighters from multiple communities were called to battle both blazes, as well as a helicopter with the Maine State Forest Service.

Liberty Fire Chief Bill Gillespie said Monday his units were first called to Varney Shore Road, on the southwest side of the pond, after a caller reported a camp on fire “across the lake.”

“Obviously, we had a dilemma at the start trying to figure out exactly where the house was located as we were using directions and GPS coordinates, not an actual address,” said Gillespie.

Liberty Fire Department was first on scene, and he said two camps were located on either side of the burning home, so firefighters had to work to protect exposures while also battling the fire.

“The grass had burned right up to the other two homes as we began working putting out the fire,” said Gillespie. “Unfortunately, it had a metal roof we had to cut through to get to the fire, and the roof eventually collapsed.”

In addition to Liberty, fire units from Palermo and Freedom responded to that fire, which destroyed the house. As they were just finishing up cleaning and doing overhaul, Gillespie said around 3 p.m. they received a call about a fire on Leeman Arm Road.

“It came in as a brush pile gone out of control and that it had caught a wood pile on fire,” said Gillespie. “So Palermo was toned out for that call, and I sent three firefighters and some equipment to it, figuring it was just a brush fire. But upon arrival, they found the burning brush pile and wood pile were attached to a 40-foot by 35-foot two-story garage that had started to become involved at that point.”

Those firefighters on scene began an initial attack, but Gillespie said that due to the initial call out for a brush fire, it got out of control very quickly and more resources were requested.

According to Karen York, the Montville Fire Deparrtment’s public information officer, “This fire on Leeman Arm Road was called in as a wood pile on fire, so some of us split off from the Varney Shore Road fire and headed here. But when we got there we saw the two-story garage or barn was on fire and within three minutes it was fully engulfed in flames and they had to back the truck away from the building and take a defensive position.”

Eventually, fire engines, rescue squads, firefighters and emergency medical services personnel from Albion, Searsmont, China, Liberty and Montville descended on Leeman Arm Road to assist with the call. At least a dozen engines were there to fight the fire, and Gillespie said other towns were standing by at the stations of the responding towns. A backhoe and other all-terrain support vehicles were also used to shuttle manpower, supplies and equipment and help extinguish the last of the hot spots.

“The Maine Forest Service helicopter checked for extension of the fire into surrounding woods at both fires, but found nothing,” said Gilespie.

Several firefighters at the large garage fire, including Gillespie, had to be checked for smoke inhalation, as clouds of thick, black acrid smoke billowed from the structure Mother’s Day afternoon.

“Nobody had to be transported to the hospital that I’m aware of,” said York.

York said that nobody was home at the Varney Shore Road fire, but it appeared that homeowners were on the scene at Leeman Arm Road. At one point, Central Maine Power had to shut down power to a large portion of the community to allow firefighters to work around power lines that had burned and snapped at Leeman Arm Road, making the area unsafe.

Gillespie said the cause of the house fire remains undetermined, but that an investigator with the Fire Marshals Office had visited the property Monday. He said the Forest Service is investigating the garage fire, but he said it was believed that it began as an unpermitted burn. Gillespie said he did not have property owner names for either incident.

Editorial Director Holly S. Edwards can be reached at hollyedwards@penbaypilot.com or 706-6655.