A late night fire at Maine's Dice Head Lighthouse has virtually destroyed the historic Keepers House.

The fire, which apparently started in the chimney and spread to the roof was fought by over 50 firemen from three communities.

The fire call came in at 11:53 PM and firemen were on the scene in six minutes. Firemen gave it a valiant effort, but suddenly, without warning, the fire hydrant stopped pumping water. Although, the firemen were able to get another water source, it was to late. It took over six hours before the fire was extinguished.

The Keepers House, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, had been owned by the town since 1956 and a caretaker was living on the premises. The actual light tower, which recently undergone major renovations was not damaged in the fire.

This story appeared in the May 1999 edition of Lighthouse Digest Magazine. The print edition contains more stories than our internet edition, and each story generally contains more photographs - often many more - in the print edition. For subscription information about the print edition, click here.

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