NEWPORT, Maine — A man died when a fire ripped through a house in Newport on Sunday morning.
Allen Easley, 54, died during the fire. He and his mother lived at the Mullen Road residence and were home when the fire started, said Shannon Moss, the Maine Department of Public Safety’s spokesperson.
Easley’s mother, whose name was not released, survived, she said.
Firefighters received a call about a house fully engulfed in fire at 10:25 a.m., Newport Fire Chief Jeff Chretien said. He declined to comment on what caused the fire, directing questions to the Office of Maine State Fire Marshal, which is investigating.
“This is a sensitive case, so they’re handling it,” he said.
About 30 firefighters from departments in Newport, Corinna, Dexter, Etna, Pittsfield and Plymouth fought the blaze, relying on two water sources connected to Sebasticook Lake. They were at the site from roughly 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Yellow caution tape surrounded the destroyed house about 5 p.m. Sunday, just after emergency vehicles had left. A small amount of smoke rose from the wreckage, and two burned vehicles were outside the house.
Ambulances from Northern Light Mayo Hospital and Sebasticook Valley Hospital were also there, though Chretien and Moss could not confirm whether anyone was transported for injuries or other reasons.
Officials from the state fire marshal’s office arrived about an hour after the call came in, Chretien said.