Fire in a house in Lewiston where four drug offenses were recently discovered

Police confirmed that a Lewiston home that has been the focus of an ongoing drug investigation caught fire Wednesday afternoon. Lewiston police confirmed the fire at 149 College Street just before 4:30 p.m. That section of College Street is closed off while firefighters work to extinguish the flames. Earlier this month, police said five people were arrested after a search warrant was executed at 149 College Street. According to Lewiston police, there have been four drug raids at that College Street home in the past nine months. The City of Lewiston's Planning and Zoning Department recently cited 149 College Street for health and safety violations due to trash and debris accumulating outside, including drug paraphernalia and feces. “There's no running water, no electricity. We've seen candles being lit for light. There are no smoke detectors, clear fire hazard. It's just uninhabitable for people right now,” Jonathan Connor, director of Lewiston's building inspections, told Maine-based Total Coverage on Monday. The city was scheduled to hold a hearing on Sept. 11. 3 to determine whether the College Street home poses a serious health and safety hazard.