A chimney fire early Monday left a single-family home on Wolff Farm Lane in this York County coastal town as a total loss, fire officials say.
The blaze broke out overnight and completely destroyed the residence, according to the Kennebunk Fire‑Rescue. No injuries were reported and the three adult occupants were displaced.
Fire crews found the structure engulfed in flames when they arrived. Although the origin was narrowed down to the chimney, the home sustained such heavy damage that officials deemed it a “total loss.”
The residents are now staying elsewhere while investigators with the Maine State Fire Marshal’s Office assess the cause of the fire and the full scope of the damage. The house was situated in a quiet, residential area in Kennebunkport.
Neighbors reported smoke and flames visible from the road as the fire took hold. With the home destroyed, those displaced face the challenge of finding interim lodging and beginning the process of recovery in the aftermath of fire loss.
Fire officials said the chimney fire spread quickly, pushing the blaze beyond the fireplace and into adjacent structural elements. While no one was hurt, the entire building was rendered uninhabitable. Investigators will continue to determine exactly how the fire moved beyond the chimney and what fire-safety measures may have failed or been overwhelmed.
Those affected can expect support from local emergency services for short-term shelter and potentially from the community for longer-term recovery. The investigation into what went wrong in the chimney continues.
