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Firefighters from several departments work to extinguish any remaining hot spots from a structure fire at 273 Front St. in Richmond. Officials say the fire began in a recreational vehicle parked near the home. Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal

RICHMOND —  A house on Front Street is a total loss after a recreational vehicle parked next to the home caught on fire, officials say.

Firefighters push fire-damaged furniture out the window Saturday as they work to douse any remaining hotspots at 273 Front St. in Richmond. Officials say the fire began in a recreational vehicle parked near the home. Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal

The house at 275 Front St. caught on fire Saturday morning after the homeowner tried to start the RV motorhome, which was parked within a couple of feet from the structure.

The RV malfunctioned and blew “black smoke” out of the exhaust before it caught on fire completely. Because of the proximity of the RV to the house, the fire traveled up the east side of the house before the entire structure was consumed by the blaze, according to Richmond Fire Chief Steve Caswell.

The house, which appeared to be built in the early 1900s, is a total loss, as is the RV.

The Richmond Fire Department received word of the fire at 8:10 a.m. and the fire took about an hour and 45 minutes to put out. Front Street and a portion of Pleasant Street were blocked off until after 10 a.m. so the crews could fight the blaze.

Firefighters from several departments work to extinguish any remaining hot spots from a structure fire at 273 Front St. in Richmond. Officials say the fire began in a recreational vehicle parked near the home. Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal

The fire department called a second alarm and crews from Bowdoin, Bowdoinham, Woolwich, Dresden, Gardiner, Topsham, Litchfield, Farmingdale and Pittston responded.

Emily Duggan is a staff writer for the Kennebec Journal. She graduated with a degree in journalism from the University of New Hampshire, where she was a news editor and staff writer for The New Hampshire....

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