Police believe a 66-year-old man died in a Livermore Falls house fire on Tuesday night that forced two brothers to jump from a second-story window, authorities said.
The State Fire Marshal’s Office is still completing DNA work to identify the sole victim in the blaze that consumed the two-and-a-half story home, but it is believed Peter Dyer, 66, died in the fire, according to Stephen McCausland, spokesman for the Maine Department of Public Safety.
Authorities have not been able to determine what caused the fire because the damage it caused was so extensive.
What is believed to be Dyer’s body was found in the first-floor living room, where investigators say the fire started before it quickly spread through the house, trapping two teenage boys on a second story, he said.
That’s when Livermore Falls police sergeant Veron Stevens, who happened to be passing by, spotted the home engulfed in flames, Chief Ernest Steward said.
The sergeant stopped, and before rescue crews arrived, stood below the upper-story window and coached the brothers, ages 11 and 13, into jumping from the burning building to their safety, Steward said. The officer “broke their fall” as they plummeted, he said.
Only the 11-year-old was injured in the leap, cutting his hand on the way down, Steward said. Rescue crews arrived shortly thereafter to put out the flames and provide first aid, he said.
Follow the Bangor Daily News on Facebook for the latest Maine news.