1 dead, 2 injured after massive hotel fire in Kittery, Maine
Video shows intense flames at hotel
Video shows intense flames at hotel
Video shows intense flames at hotel
Fire officials in Maine said one person is dead after a massive hotel fire in Kittery on Wednesday.
The fire broke out at the Days Inn on the Route 1 Bypass around noon Wednesday. Crews from nearby departments, including from multiple New Hampshire communities, helped battle the flames.
The body of the victim was found inside the gutted Days Inn around 2:15 p.m. Thursday, according to the Maine fire marshal's office.
Their identity has not yet been confirmed.
Officials said the body was found in an area of the building with the worst damage and the biggest burn.
Kittery Fire Chief David O'Brien said his firefighters tried to get to that area during the first few minutes of the fire, but it was too dangerous.
"It is a firefighter's nightmare with individual rooms and hallways," the fire chief said. "Trust me when I say that I was extremely hesitant to send my firefighters into that building."
The fire marshal's office said Thursday afternoon that they believe everyone is accounted for.
Two people, including a firefighter, were treated for injuries Wednesday, according to the chief.
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The fire chief said some hotel records might not have been fully up to date, which made it difficult to determine if everyone made it out.
He said some people were living at the hotel full-time.
Some said they feel lucky they weren't in there at the time.
"I do a lot of traveling and nothing like this have ever happened," said Michael Jones, a hotel guest. "I count my blessings that I wasn't in there. It could have been a lot worse. I could have been trapped in there, but I'm out and I'm safe."
Officials are asking the public if they know anyone who had been living there to call them at 207-439-1638.
>> See more video of the flames:
Town officials said the property owners recently filed paperwork to have the hotel torn down and replaced with a new building.
The building, estimated at $1.6 million, partially collapsed and is considered a total loss.
Investigators said a K-9 did not find accelerant in the building.
The clean up and investigation are well underway, but the healing process for the community has only just begun.
"I have several young firefighters that this would be their first fatal fire. We will bring them in. We have a chaplain," O'Brien said. "We will sit down and we'll go through that debrief and discuss it, and have them understand that things like this happen and they did everything they could."
The fire marshal said the investigation is continuing.
See the latest press conference in the player below:
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