KITTERY, Maine — Fire officials hosted a press conference Thursday afternoon, where they announced that one person has died as a result of the Days Inn fire.
One body has been recovered from the fire, but the identity of the individual has not been confirmed or released as of the press conference. At this time, however, officials believe all people have been accounted for.
Fire crews were still at the scene Thursday after a fire destroyed a Kittery hotel Wednesday afternoon. The fire marshal's office was investigating and said at the press conference that no charges have been filed.
Kittery Fire Chief David O'Brien confirmed at a press conference at 8 p.m. Wednesday the fire located at the Days Inn hotel on the Route 1 Bypass was placed under control at approximately 6:03 p.m.
O'Brien said one or two people are still unaccounted for. Officials are reportedly struggling with out-of-date records regarding guests who were staying in the building at the time of the fire. The Office of the State Fire Marshal has been working with the hotel in an attempt to account for everyone, according to the Maine Department of Public Safety.
"It makes it very challenging to determine if we have everybody," O'Brien said. "It makes it very challenging to determine where we need to continue to search."
O'Brien added the high winds, lack of water and the old structure of the hotel made it extremely difficult for firefighters to access every room.
"It was a very difficult fire, it was a challenging fire, we had 30 knot winds that fanned the fire and it also had a very large start to the fire," O'Brien said. "It's a firefighters nightmare, and believe me when I tell you I was extremely hesitant to send my firefighters into that building."
Many guests were staying there for an extended period of time, O'Brien said.
He was able to confirm the passerby that had run by the fire earlier in the day and had become injured was "conscious and alert" when brought to the hospital. No additional information was available regarding their current state. A firefighter reportedly suffered a laceration to their finger.
The fire started shortly after noon Wednesday in the midsection of the building, and windy conditions made it difficult to battle the flames, O'Brien explained. He said Kittery fire crews and law enforcement responded to the scene within minutes. Fire crews from 16 surrounding towns responded to assist.
Strong winds coming from the northwest, and a lack of water, fueled the fire, allowing it to extend to a building next door, O'Brien said. Several spotty fires then spread across the street.
O'Brien also noted an initial lack of water also contributed to the challenging conditions. Kittery firefighters were at the scene all night putting out hot spots and, as of Thursday morning, O'Brien estimated more than 2 million gallons of water had been used.
Kittery Town Manager Kendra Amaral addressed notices of violations that were made against the property in August and October of 2018 through 2019 concerning heating, fire code violations, and ventilation issues that were resolved in late 2019.
Fire Chief O'Brien also added the fact the hotel owners did not keep an accurate record of hotel guests could violate a Maine Department of Health and Human Services Statute. The pending investigation over this fire could result in possible charges, the fire marshal said.
"It's in DHHS, it says they have to do it and it was not being done," Chief O'Brien said.
For those staying at the hotel, the loss of clothes and personal items is hard to process.
"It's a shock, this has never happened to me, even talking to the people at work nothing like this has happened," Michael Jones said, who was staying at the hotel.
Jones said he lost his computer and all his clothes.
"I'm safe, I'm healthy and I still have my car and my cell phone. I consider myself lucky,' Jones said.
The $1.64 million building is a total loss, according to O'Brien.
Individuals staying at the hotel during the time of the fire are being encouraged to contact the Kittery Police Department at 207-439-1638 with knowledge about the fire or others living in the building.
Watch the full press conference here:
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