Lewiston apartment house burns for the 2nd time since July
Lewiston Apartment Building Ignites Again, Two Months After July Blaze
A three‑story apartment building on Lewiston’s Main Street erupted in flames on Tuesday night, just weeks after a fire in July had gutted the structure and left dozens of residents homeless. Fire crews from neighboring Auburn responded to the call, but the blaze had already taken hold of the roof by the time they arrived.
The fire began shortly before 9:00 p.m. on Tuesday. When first responders arrived, the roof of the vacant building was already engulfed in smoke and flame. They discovered a person on the first floor, though no injuries were reported. Residents and witnesses say that since the July fire, homeless people have been entering the empty structure nearly every night, and that the police had been notified but were unable to keep the building secure.
The July blaze was traced to a discarded cigarette, according to investigators. That fire had severely damaged the 1877‑built building and displaced 32 residents, leaving the structure vacant and in a state of disrepair. The Tuesday night incident has further compromised the building, which remains an uncertain prospect for the city and its owners.
Firefighters worked through the night, deploying a second alarm and sending crews up ladders to blast water onto the burning roof. The operation closed a portion of Main Street to traffic, and smoke drifted over downtown, prompting residents on the opposite side of the bridge in Auburn to report the haze and scent of smoke.
City officials have not yet issued a statement on the building’s future. Local authorities are grappling with the challenge of securing an abandoned structure that is both a fire hazard and a shelter for the homeless.
“This is a developing story,” the press release from the Lewiston Police Department noted. The building’s long‑standing history—built in 1877—has made it a fixture in the neighborhood, but repeated fires and neglect have eroded its structural integrity.
At the time of the Tuesday night incident, no immediate injuries were reported, and the police are investigating whether the person found on the first floor was a resident, a passerby, or a homeless individual who had been using the building as a temporary shelter.
The building’s future remains uncertain. City planners and property owners are expected to assess the damage, determine the feasibility of repairs, and consider measures to prevent further incidents. In the meantime, the incident has highlighted a growing problem in Lewiston: the lack of safe, affordable housing for the city’s homeless population.
Lewiston residents, firefighters, and city officials will likely converge in the coming days as officials weigh options for the damaged building and broader strategies for housing and safety in the city’s downtown area.
