Orono fire blamed on electrical problem
6/11/09 | 7 comments
UPDATE

Orono fire blamed on electrical problem


Fire Marshal says blaze accidental
By The Associated Press
BANGOR DAILY NEWS PHOTO BY GABOR DEGRE
Investigators from the Office of the State Fire Marshal continue to search for the cause of the fire in an Orono apartment building Thursday morning, June 11, 2009. Robert Dudley, the owner of the building, said that he was happy no one was injured in the fire. "We would absolutely love to rebuild, but certain steps will determine what we will do from here," Dudley said.

ORONO, Maine — Investigators say a fire that destroyed a nearly 180-year-old apartment building in downtown Orono was caused by an electrical problem in the building's wiring.

The state fire marshal's office ruled Thursday that the fire was accidental and that it started in an electrical outlet in a wall of a first-floor apartment before spreading throughout the brick building.

No injuries were reported in Tuesday's fire, which displaced 26 tenants.

The Katahdin Building, as it was known, had previously housed a tavern, Orono's first public library, a bank and offices. The building and an addition were later converted into 18 apartment units, many of which were occupied by University of Maine students.

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7 comments on this item
On 6/11/09 at 4:36 PM, Kevin_of_Bangor wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Well someone did mention that the wiring in this building was terrible and stated this would be the cause and that person was correct.

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On 6/11/09 at 5:16 PM, mainefem wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Time for lawsuits, folks (sue both Dudley, as well as the town of Orono).

How (and *why*) in hell didn't Orono's code enforcement officer (a/k/a "building inspector") shut this place down decades ago (let alone, to pass its "inspections") is beyond belief.

PDF alert:

http://bit.ly/qEsSY

'Nuff said.

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On 6/11/09 at 6:09 PM, pcme2000 wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Hopefully the owner had insurance.

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On 6/11/09 at 6:30 PM, Kevin_of_Bangor wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

pcme2000 and earlier article stated the building owners.

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On 6/11/09 at 6:31 PM, Kevin_of_Bangor wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Oops, help if I finish before hitting post.

It stated the building owners did have insurance.

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On 6/12/09 at 12:45 AM, ryanrrobbins wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Why is the paper relying on The Associated Press for this story?

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On 6/12/09 at 3:04 PM, friendtoall wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

In response to the fire that destroyed an apartment building in Orono that left several people, mostly college students, homeless. First I would like to congratulate the firefighters who courageously succeeded in extinguishing the fire and rescuing the animals. God was certainly watching over this because everyone got out safely!

Secondly, I would like to speak about the owners of the property, Jen and Bob Dudley. I know first hand that these are two caring individuals. Not many landlords would take the time to personally make sure that each and every tenant was safe and had a place to stay. They haven’t owned the building very long and in the short time that they have, they have spent countless hours and money updating and remodeling that very old building. They worked closely with the fire marshal and the town to ensure that all safety codes were met and/or exceeded. So it is true that there are “money hungry slumlords in the world” these two people certainly do NOT fit that definition. These people genuinely care about the tenants and have worked very hard to go above and beyond the basics to keep their tenants safe.

By the grace of God everyone is alive and well! Belongings can be replaced, that is what renter’s insurance is for. So for all you critics out there who are bashing these two people, know the facts.

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