Staff members see smoke from overheated bathroom fan
By Jim Smedley
Staff Writer

BUCKFIELD – An overheated exhaust fan that began to smoke caused officials to evacuate the SAD 39 district offices Monday at the Town Office Building.

Superintendent William Shuttleworth said when the staffers saw the smoke from the fan in the ceiling of the staff bathroom and smelled “something” burning they evacuated the second-floor offices and called the Fire Department.

The Buckfield Fire Department was the first on the scene and, according to firefighter Wes Ackley, the problem was contained quickly.

“The fan was still smoking when we got here,” Ackley said.

He did request that the Paris Fire Department send the snorkel to help in case a fire may have gone up into the eaves.

“A snorkel is an articulated water pipe that allows you to put a whole lot of water in a spot without having a person there,” Ackley said.

Buckfield electrician James Tucker examined the fan after the fire.

Paris Fire Chief Brad Frost used a thermal imaging camera to ensure no hot spots went undetected.

Firefighters from Hebron, Sumner, Turner and Paris were on scene to protect the building, which was built in 1928.

“It’s historic to the town, but not on the register,” said Town Manager Cindy Dunn. “It would be devastating if we lost the building; all of the town’s historical records are here.”

jsmedley@sunjournal.com