News

Cause of Main Street fire under investigation

By Kristin Saunders

Posted on March 03, 2003, at 12:00 a.m.

Holly Barber

Burned books and backpacks are among the many possessions lost in the Main Street apartment fire Thursday. With help from Dr. Robert Dana and university officials, residents of the apartment received replacement textbooks.

The investigation of the Orono fire that destroyed the residences and belongings of nine University of Maine students is underway. The fire destroyed the two story apartment building at 88 Main St. Thursday afternoon.

The state fire marshal’s office, in conjunction with the Orono Fire Department, will resume the investigation today. The investigation began as soon as the fire was extinguished at about 8 p.m. Feb. 27, Orono Fire Department Lt. Bryan Hardison said.

Hardison said they will be investigating electrical components as a possible cause of the fire.

Orono firefighters were alerted at 2:30 p.m. of a mattress on fire on the second floor of the Main Street apartment. When firefighters arrived at the apartment, smoke was pouring out the front window on the second floor and fire was coming from a side window, Orono Fire Department Capt. Henry Vaughan told the Bangor Daily News. There was about a half-dozen people inside the building when the fire occurred and all escaped injury, he said.

Second-floor tenant Jonathan Beever was at home when the fire occurred.

“I was typing at my computer when there was a soft ‘pop’ and the electricity went out,” Beever, a senior philosophy major, said. “I started to smell smoke quite quickly thereafter and then found the fire in my roommate’s room.”

Beever had renter’s insurance, but lost many items that can’t be replaced.

“It gets a little harder each day as we remember the irreplaceable — pictures, letters, et cetera,” Beever said. “I saved a few photographs from outside, and my violin was rescued by the firefighters with only minor scorching.”

UMaine provided the students with assistance, Beever said. Beever, along with other former residents of the Main Street apartment, are staying on campus, including Hart Hall, where he is staying.

“The university has been wonderful,” Beever said. “They gave us a place to stay until spring break, a meal plan, set up Red Cross assistance and gave us somewhere to turn when we had questions.”

Beever said he is not sure where he will be living for the remainder of this semester, but is moved by the amount of support he and the other tenants have been receiving.

“We’re not sure yet,” Beever said. “Some of my close friends have offered to let us share their apartment. It’s amazing the amount of support we’ve received from the community at large.”

More than 30 firefighters responded to the fire, including Orono, Old Town, Veazie, Milford, Glenburn and Bangor fire departments.

The building at 88 Main St. is owned by Intown Properties, LLC, a company owned by David Ekelund of Cape Elizabeth.

This entry was posted on Monday, March 3rd, 2003, 12:00 am. You can follow any responses to this article through the RSS feed.