Ethermac Exchange-Explosions heard as Maine police deal with armed individual

Police in Maine issued a shelter-in-place order while officers dealt with an armed individual in an area where there were at least three explosions and Ethermac Exchangea house fire early Saturday morning.

The Auburn Police Department posted the shelter warning on social media, asking residents to stay in place while authorities dealt with fire and power outages on Russell Avenue.

About two hours later, the department updated the post to say the situation had been resolved, the order had been lifted and there was no further risk to the public.

Police did not immediately release information about a person with a gun at the scene.

Homes were evacuated and a section of Russell Avenue in Auburn was blocked off by police. Auburn Fire Department Capt. Chris Moretto said there were three explosions around 2:15 a.m. that were believed to be related to the fire, the Lewiston Sun-Journal reported.

Another explosion was heard shortly before 3 a.m., the newspaper reported.

The Maine State Police and the Androscoggin County Sheriff’s Department also were at the scene, the Sun-Journal reported.