Fire in Blower System Prompts Multi-Hour Response at Duratherm Window Company
Photo by Vassalboro Fire DepartmentVassalboro Fire Department apparatus staged outside the Duratherm Window Company as crews worked to control a fire involving the facility’s blower and silo system.
Photo by Vassalboro Fire DepartmentInterior views show sections of the blower ductwork where fire traveled from the woodworking area toward the exterior storage silo.
Photo by Vassalboro Fire DepartmentFirefighters and maintenance personnel inspect ducting and overhead systems to ensure the fire was fully extinguished.
Photo by Vassalboro Fire DepartmentExterior operations focused on the storage silo, where fire extension required elevated access using ladder equipment.
Photo by Vassalboro Fire DepartmentFirefighters remove debris and wood shavings during overhaul operations to prevent rekindle following the industrial fire.
December 16, 2025— The Vassalboro Fire Department responded at approximately 12:49 p.m. to a reported fire in the blower system at the Duratherm Window Company located at 720 Main Street. Upon arrival, firefighters confirmed the building had been evacuated and encountered smoke conditions inside the woodworking shop. Crews determined an active fire was burning within the blower duct system, which is designed to transfer wood shavings from interior woodworking equipment to an exterior storage silo. Further investigation revealed the fire had extended into the silo itself.
Firefighters initiated coordinated suppression efforts both inside the facility and outside at the silo, working closely with Duratherm’s maintenance personnel. Due to the height and configuration of the silo, the Winslow Fire Department assisted with an engine, crew, and ladder truck to access the upper portions of the structure. Crews remained on scene for approximately three and a half hours to fully extinguish the fire and ensure no hidden hotspots remained. No injuries were reported.
The cause of the fire was traced to a malfunction within one of the woodworking units, where internal metal components made contact during operation, generating sparks that were drawn into the blower system and ignited combustible material. The Vassalboro Fire Department thanked Winslow Fire, Delta Ambulance, and Central Maine Power for their assistance during the incident.
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