Since 1992
Print and digital marketing
Incident Location: Lake Auburn Towne House, 74 Lake Auburn Avenue, Auburn
Incident Date: October 25, 2026
Incident Time: 16:29 hours
Incident Terminated: 22:37 hours
Incident Type: Fire Alarm Response w/ Kitchen Fire and Sprinkler System Activation
Mutual Aid Received on Scene: Auburn Police Department, Auburn Public Works, Auburn School Department, American Red Cross, Androscoggin County EMA, Auburn Housing Management and Maintenance Staff.
Mutual Aid Station Coverage: New Gloucester and Durham Fire Departments
Overlapping Emergency Response Coverage During Incident: Lewiston Fire Department, United Ambulance Service and Poland Fire Department.
On Sunday, October 25, at 4:29 p.m., the Auburn Fire Department responded to a reported fire at Lake Auburn Towne House, located at 74 Lake Auburn Avenue. The fire originated on a cooktop in a sixth-floor apartment and was quickly extinguished by the building’s automatic sprinkler system.
While the sprinkler system successfully contained the fire, water discharged during the incident caused significant damage to neighboring apartments and units on lower floors. As a precaution, residents were evacuated to Washburn Elementary School, located across the street from the apartment building. The Auburn Fire Department worked closely with the Auburn Housing Authority to assist residents in securing temporary accommodations.
By 10:30 p.m., two wings of the building were determined to be safe for occupancy, allowing many residents to return home. However, 42 units remained uninhabitable overnight, requiring affected residents to make alternative housing arrangements.
The American Red Cross was mobilized to establish an emergency shelter, which provided overnight accommodations for 12 residents. That shelter has since been closed.
Since the incident, Auburn Housing Authority maintenance staff and Servpro crews have worked continuously to mitigate water damage and restore affected areas. As of Monday, all but 10 units have been cleared for occupancy. The Auburn Housing Authority is working to relocate residents from those remaining affected units into alternative apartments within its housing portfolio.
No injuries were reported as a result of the incident.
