SOUTH HIRAM, Maine — The State Fire Marshal’s Office says an elderly man died when a fire swept through his home in South Hiram.
The body of 83-year-old Ralph Fournier was found in the rubble of the small house on Tripptown Road a short time after firefighters arrived on the scene, according to a press release from Stephen McCausland, spokesman for the Maine Department of Public Safety.
The house burned to the ground, McCausland said.
Fire investigators suspect the fire was caused by a wood store or a propane heater, as Fournier used both to heat the dwelling.
Fournier’s body was found in the bedroom.
The fire was reported about 2:45 p.m. Friday by Fournier’s brother, who lives next door.