The woman who reported a fire at a Brewer bar late Thursday night helped four people stranded on the roof find their way to safety, authorities said.
Four people in the apartments upstairs from Cap’s Tavern apparently climbed out a window onto the roof to escape the fire that had engulfed their usual exit, said Sgt. Scott Richardson of the state fire marshal’s office.
A woman driving by the South Main Street bar at around 11:10 p.m. saw the flames and smoke at the three-story building and pulled over to call for help.
“She heard yelling and saw four people on the roof on the Orrington side of the building,” Richardson said. “They climbed from one roof to another and onto the ground” using the woman’s guidance.
Richardson said he did not know the Good Samaritan’s name.
Authorities on Friday were trying to determine the cause of the fire, which is being investigated as a possible arson. The fire was believed to have started in the stairway leading to the apartments, which is above the front entrance to the bar.
“It definitely is suspicious,” said Brewer Deputy Fire Chief Ralph Cammack. “[The state has] four or five investigators here and they’re bringing in the dog in to see if there are any accelerants.”
Del Merritt, the building’s owner, learned of the fire late Thursday when a friend’s knock on the door got him out of bed. The two rushed to see flames eating away at his neighborhood bar, which he’s owned for nearly 10 years.
“It still hasn’t sunk in yet,” said Merritt, who also owns Judy’s bar in Bangor and Speedway 95, along with around 52 apartments. “I think I’m still in shock. It looks like she’s a total loss.”
Investigators in the morning had not let him back into the building, which is insured.
“I’m going to let them do their job,” Merritt said. “Hopefully, they catch the person who did it.”
A Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives trained canine named Harry, who is assigned to the state fire marshal’s office, spent part of Friday searching the building for fire-starting materials, according to Sgt. Scott Richardson.
The fire also knocked out the Time Warner Cable in the area. Crews from Orrington, Bangor, Holden, Eddington, Dedham and Hampden assisted Brewer firefighters.
“They quickly knocked down the fire,” Jason Moffitt, Brewer public safety director, said Friday.
Several people could be seen stopping by to survey the damage and take photos.
“It was just a neighborhood bar, just like Cheers,” said Hermon resident Renee Kelly, a regular who is friends with a bartender there. “It was just a nice bar. You could go in there by yourself and always felt welcome.”
Merritt said he’s saddened by the loss of the building, which used to house Cap Morrill’s Restaurant, but is more concerned about his longtime employees, some of whom have worked for him since he bought the property 10 years ago this November.
“For some of them, this is their only income,” Merritt said.
The bar owner was planning a concert for next weekend in the parking lot, with 22 bands, but “everything is on hold right now,” he said.