BANGOR -- An electrical fire gutted a house at 1704 Route 11B Monday night and rerouted traffic for nearly four hours on the busy highway.

No one was home when the fire was reported at 9:40 p.m.

"It was already fully involved by the time we arrived," Bangor Second Assistant Fire Chief Jerry Dumas said Tuesday.

"It turned into a defense operation where we didn't send anybody inside because it was too unsafe to attack."

Firefighters from Bangor, Brushton, Moira and Dickinson responded, while Malone Callfiremen were placed on standby at Bangor's station.

The house, which is owned by Sandra Sabin and occupied by her son, Abraham, is situated near the intersection with Elbow Road.

It is on a short, flat stretch of highway between two hills, so members of the Franklin County Fire Police blocked off traffic "for our safety," Dumas said, and redirected drivers around the site.

About 30 firefighters fought the blaze. Dumas said they drew water from the nearby Malone Quarry rather than one of the bridges farther on Route 11B.

"It's usually gated there (the quarry) after hours, but they let us draft our water supply out of there, which is a nice community service kind of thing."

County Cause and Origin Team Investigator Mike McMahan said an electrical fire was to blame for the damage and that the blaze started near the entrance to a bedroom off the living room.

Sabin had no insurance and is staying with friends in the area.

Firefighters were back at their stations at 2:30 a.m.

A trio of blackened easy chairs and a burned twin-size mattress sat in the backyard of the home Tuesday.

Several cords of neatly stacked wood stood unharmed nearby, littered with empty water bottles and soda cans used during the long night.

Charred appliances, ruined clothing and broken glass could be seen along the east side of the home, strewn under a metal scrolled sign that reads, Home sweet home.'