This story was updated.
3 people dead in early morning Fort Fairfield fire|
A young family member was the only survivor of a fire that claimed the lives of three people in Fort Fairfield on Thursday morning.
The fire at the 85 Riverside Avenue residence was reported to the Houlton dispatch center at around 2:05 a.m., according to Maine Department of Safety spokesperson Shannon Moss.
The victims of the fire are believed to be father Erik Elmer, 47; mother Jessica Elmer, 39; and daughter 17-year-old Rose Elmer.
A minor who is not being identified at this time was the only family member to survive the fire, according to Moss. They were transported to a local hospital.
An autopsy will be conducted by the state medical examiner’s office, and fire marshals will investigate the cause of the fire.
Initial reports state there were no smoke detectors in the home. Foul play is not suspected at this time.
Fire departments from Easton, Fort Fairfield and Limestone remained on the scene until around 11:30 a.m. putting out hotspots on the property.
Neighbors described the family members who died in the fire as pleasant people who moved to the area a few years ago.
Gary Giggey, who lives two houses away from where the fire occurred, said the family kept to themselves but were often seen walking their two dogs, which he said also perished in the fire.
“I helped [Erik] get an old vehicle going but they [had] newer vehicles now,” Giggey said.
Giggey didn’t know where the family came from before moving to the neighborhood that sits close to the Aroostook River.
Diana Chambers, who lives with Giggey, said her thoughts are with the surviving member of the family.
“The only thing I am concerned about is the child that survived,” said Chambers. “Where is this child going to go?”
Giggey and Chambers said they didn’t see any flames in the night, but noticed smoke from the fire as the fire crews worked through the morning and into the afternoon to fully extinguish the blaze.
The couple said they didn’t know about the deaths until they went shopping at the grocery store and heard that the three family members had perished.
Leela Stockley of the BDN contributed to this report
