One person was killed and three others injured in a fire at an elderly housing complex in Waterville, Maine, on Monday morning.
The fire was reported around 5:40 a.m. at the multi-story Elm Towers assisted living facility at 60 Elm St. One person was killed and three others taken to an area hospital for treatment, fire officials said.
When they arrived, firefighters said smoke and fire were visible from two sides of the building. The fire department located a fire in a unit on the building's fourth floor. After a search of the area they found one person unresponsive. They attempted to resuscitate the person, but the person was later pronounced dead. State police identified the victim on Tuesday as Ronald Kennerson, 65.
Additional crews extended a hose line to the fourth floor while other firefighters assisted other occupants out of the building.
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"This was an extremely difficult task as there are reported 50 units throughout the building," the fire department said in a Facebook post. Due to the size of the building and the limited number of available firefighters, many residents had to shelter in place in safe areas of the building.
The fire was declared under control around 6:30 a.m. with help from numerous neighboring fire departments.
The fourth floor of the building sustained serious fire and smoke damage, while lower floors sustained water damage. Higher floors were mostly undamaged.
The building is managed by the Waterville Housing Authority and did not have a sprinkler system, according to state police.
The Red Cross will help those displaced by the fire find alternate housing options.
The cause and origin of the fire have not been determined and were still under investigation as of Tuesday night. State police say there is no evidence or indication of foul play at this time.
