OXFORD, Maine — A weekend fire that killed an 85-year-old woman at an elderly housing facility was ruled accidental, according the state fire marshal’s office.
The blaze at Oxford Meadows was caused by an electrical connection to a wall outlet, according to Stephen McCausland, spokesman for the Maine Department of Public Safe.
“Fire investigators working with a state electrical inspector determined that a wire connected to the outlet on an inside wall of the first floor common area caused a spark, which started the fire,” he said Monday afternoon. “A table lamp had been connected to the outlet, and investigators say the fire spread quickly because of a wicker basket near the lamp contained newspapers.”
Theresa Heino, 85, died in the blaze that sent thick smoke throughout the building, McCausland said Saturday.
The condition of Virginia Brown, 65, who was listed in critical condition Saturday, was upgraded to stable on Monday, according to a spokeswoman for Stephens Memorial Hospital of Norway, where the woman is recovering from smoke inhalation.
The fire broke out around 2 a.m. at Oxford Meadows, a large apartment complex along Route 26, according to a previously published report. Residents were brought to the nearby high school after being evacuated from their apartments.
The smoke detectors in the building were working, McCausland said. Because of its age, the facility did not have fire sprinklers.