DALLAS PLANTATION — A New Year’s Day fire leveled a three-story vacation home on County Road on Thursday.

According to Rangeley fire Chief Tim Pellerin, the call came in just before 2 p.m. for “smoke in the area.” Five minutes later, when Pellerin arrived on scene, he found the house fully engulfed with a collapsing roof.

A second alarm was struck as the Eustis Fire Department was called out.

To make firefighting operations more difficult, Pellerin said the house was about 3 miles from the nearest hydrant, forcing tankers to wind their way back and forth on narrow roads.

The home, belonging to Mike Ryan of Massachusetts, was unoccupied at the time, Pellerin said. A family member had been staying there but left that morning.

No one was injured, Pellerin said.

He said the 10-year-old house was a total loss, complicated by how much time the fire had to spread before crews arrived, as well as the remote location.

Pellerin estimated the loss at around $550,000.

He said the departments involved displayed great teamwork under difficult conditions. He said there was no obvious cause, and he and state officials would begin the investigation Friday morning.

dmcintire@sunjournal.com