OTISFIELD, Maine — Firefighters found two bodies Monday while battling a house fire on Route 121 in Otisfield.
The people who died are believed to be Jean Jalbert, 77, and Donna Jalbert, 65, both of whom lived at the home, Maine Department of Public Safety spokesperson Shannon Moss said Monday in a news release. The bodies were taken to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for autopsies, and DNA technology will be used to confirm the identities, according to officials.
The fire broke out shortly before 11:30 p.m. Sunday and lasted well into Monday morning. The two-story home was about 100 years old, according to Moss.
Route 121, also known as Main Road, was closed for several hours between Powhatan Road and Bolsters Mills Road as officials responded to the scene. The road has since reopened.
Otisfield Deputy Fire Chief Ryan Fox told NEWS CENTER Maine there was "fire everywhere" when crews got to the home. Because Otisfield is a rural town, crews had difficulty with water supply, he added.
Crews found the bodies after the fire was largely under control, Fox explained. He said it's a hard day for such a small community, where many people in town know each other.
Investigators with the Office of the State Fire Marshall responded to the scene, along with Pace Ambulance Service and the Oxford County Sheriff's Office. The following fire departments also responded: Otisfield, Oxford, Mechanic Falls, Casco, Raymond, Naples, Bridgton, Denmark, Harrison, Sweden, Waterford, Norway, Paris, and Hebron.
Several loved ones, neighbors and community members visited the Jalberts' home Monday to lay flowers in front of the mailbox.
Friends said Jean was a very giving man who was involved in the community. Sister Rosalie Dickson from Resurrection Community said Jean came by the sister's community every week to take out the trash.
Disckson said she and Jean were friends for more than 30 years. Dickson said when Jean and Donna had a chimney fire years ago, the couple stayed in the sister's bonus home until their home repairs were complete.
She also recalled times when Jean and Donna weren't in good health, explaining they both stayed at the sister's community until they were well.
"We never know when that day is going to come," Dickson said.
Jean struggled with cancer she said, and Donna had health issues of her own.
Dickson recalled how Jean would find a use for everything, explaining he loved to fix everything on his own.
"When we had something in the house, and we couldn't use it anymore we'd put it out there, and Jean would say, 'You want it.' And I would say, 'No, we can't use it,'" Dickson said. "'I'll take it.' He knew how to take everything and fix it how he wanted. He was just good like that."
Dickson explained she first heard about the house fire while she was at church Monday morning, but she was unsure of where the fire happened.
She said she spent the morning making calls to friends trying to figure out whose home caught fire. She was stunned when she found out the tragedy happened at the Jalbert's home.
"Pricsilla said, 'Yes, I heard it this morning that there was a big structural fire in Otisfield, and the road were closed,'" Dickson said. "And it didn't dawn on me until I got on our road, and I said, 'I hope it's not Jean and Donna.'"
Family, neighbors, and loved ones said they'll never forget Jean's hearty laugh and Donna's gentle presence.
"It's just, um... It's going to be difficult knowing that they're not going to be here," Pastor Rick Mowery said.
Mowery is the pastor of the church that neighbors the Jalberts' home.
Donna's sister and her sister's husband spent some time at the scene in disbelief at what remained. They worked to find the couple's pets that went missing during the fire.
The Jalbert's had at least five outdoor cats. They also had chickens. The chickens were found safe in their cage, and Donna's sister gave the chickens to a new family Friday.
Community members said they would be pulling together to support the Jalbert's family in every way they can.