Local fire departments are well-known for their ability to fight fires.

On October 13, they showed, once again, they also do a fine job starting one and keeping it burning.

The cedar shingled house at 332 Wiscasset Road, just before Lewis Lane, met its end in a smoky blaze tended by firefighting crews from Boothbay, Boothbay Harbor and Southport early Sunday morning.

It was a warm, sunny, windless morning and the old house was slow to catch. At times, smoke engulfed firefighters and onlookers.

Boothbay Fire Chief Dick Spofford said the donated house provided a good training opportunity, particularly since a couple of young firefighters are facing certification testing in the near future.

Property owner Jon Holt, of Ocean Point and Minnesota, said he plans to build a personal storage unit where the house formerly stood and will maintain the trees that front the property. Holt said he was thankful for neighbors’ help in clearing out the house that had not been occupied for nine years.