WATERVILLE, Maine — One person has died from injuries following a fire Monday morning at an apartment building in Waterville.
The Waterville Fire Department responded to a call about a fire on Elm Street at around 5:40 a.m. When crews arrived, they reported visible smoke and fire from two sides of the building and learned the fire was coming from a unit on the fourth floor, fire officials said in a post on Facebook.
A person in that area was found following an "aggressive search," but despite resuscitation efforts, the individual died, the release stated.
"Additional crews advanced a hose line to the fourth floor, while other crews simultaneously assisted other occupants to a safe area outside the building," the release said. "This was an extremely difficult task as there are reported 50 units throughout the building."
The 50-unit apartment building, one of the tallest apartment buildings in Waterville, is managed by the Waterville Housing Authority and is reportedly used as housing for aging Mainers.
Three other residents were brought by ambulance to a hospital for evaluation and treatment.
One of those residents was Roland Chase. His daughter, Kellie Thompson, due to give birth the following day, and Chase's ex-partner, Misty Lewis, live in the area and ran to the building at 80 Elm St. when they read reports it was on fire.
"The fire chief looked at me and goes, 'We can't find your dad anywhere; he's missing,'" Thompson recalled.
"My adrenaline was pumping, and I thought automatically he was dead," Lewis said.
After several hours of waiting, first responders brought Chase out, much to his family's relief. But he was immediately transported to an area hospital for taking in too much carbon monoxide.
"We both bawled out eyes out at that point," Thompson said of her and her mother. "And I looked at him and told him, 'You really know how to give somebody a heart attack!'"
David Healey, who lives on the second floor, considered himself lucky.
"There was a gentleman in there I heard that passed away, and I'm sorry to hear that," Healey said when we met him outside his building.
Waterville Fire Chief Shawn Esler told NEWS CENTER Maine that 48 people have been displaced, but said he believed all pets were safe and have been accounted for. Firefighters, along with workers from the Red Cross, worked to reunite pets and prescriptions with the residents waiting outside.
Esler added there were no sprinklers in the building but that none were required because the building was designed to be fire resistant, with everything except for personal effects made out of concrete. This knowledge allowed fire crews to make informed decisions to prevent the fire from spreading and allowing some residents in the building to shelter in place without much danger, according to Esler.
The Waterville Fire Department was aided by Delta Ambulance. An investigation into the cause of the fire is expected to be conducted by the Maine state fire marshal's office and the Waterville Police Department.
Waterville Housing and the Red Cross were working to help tenants who are displaced and others who wish to reunite with pets and their belongings, according to the release.
A "Do Not Drink" order has been issued for people who source from the Kennebec Water District, as firefighting foam used to contain the fire reportedly contaminated the supply, a press release from the water district stated.
The order would remain in place until water quality tests determine the water is safe to consume. The water district does state, however, that the water is safe for bathing and cleaning.
Anyone with unusual foaming in the water is asked to run cold water for 15 to 20 minutes from a bathtub or outside spigot. The water district asks people to call 207-872-2763 if the foaming persists.
Meanwhile, Thompson, a member of the Red Cross, chose to stay at the apartment building the entire day to help process residents if she was called upon. A Red Cross spokesperson later told reporters Thompson would not be asked to assist with the residents because of her close relationship with someone involved in the fire.
Nevertheless, she remained long enough to welcome her dad back from the hospital that afternoon.
"You gave us a heart attack," Thompson said, before leading Chase around back to speak with volunteers.
Monday was tragic for the residents of Elm Towers, and especially so for the family of the victim. But there was solace to be found in the sadness. Thompson's father was back from the brink.
Now she could take his place in the hospital in the days to come, ready to add to her family.
