5 dead, 1 hurt in house fire in Maine

Associated Press

PORTLAND, Maine

Authorities say everyone is accounted for after a fire swept through an apartment house near the University of Southern Maine’s commuter campus, killing five people and critically injuring one.

It is unclear if any of the victims were students. The fire, which gutted the three-story, 94-year-old structure, followed a Halloween party the night before. The building housed two apartments.

State fire marshal’s spokesman Steve McCausland said most, if not all, the residents of the house were USM students but said there was no indication that students were killed in the fire. Later Saturday, Portland Fire Chief Jerry LaMoria said they didn’t know if any of the victims were students.

Initial reports also said several people were missing. Portland city spokeswoman Jessica Grondin said late Saturday that everybody is accounted for.

One person suffered severe burns and jumped from a second-story window. He was reported in critical condition in the burn unit of a Boston hospital, McCausland said. A second person was treated and released from a hospital; seven people escaped from the burning building.

Two bodies were found on the second floor and three others on the third floor.