Fires in Naples and Denmark Kill 1 Person and Several Animals

Two house fires in the Maine towns of Naples and Denmark claimed the lives of one resident and several pets and livestock.

Who Died in the Naples Fire?

Maine Department of Public Safety spokesperson Shannon Moss has identified the deceased as Jonathan Cabral, 43, of Naples. The house fire at 88 East Shore Beach Road was reported at approximately 2:00 a.m. on Friday. Officials say Cabral was the homeowner and lived alone at the residence. The house is considered a total loss.

Were the Homeowners Hurt in the Denmark Fire?

When crews arrived at a fire at 589 Bull Ring Road in Denmark just before 5:30 Saturday night, they found flames shooting through the roof of the house. In addition, the attached garage was fully involved and flames had burned through the Central Maine Power electrical line feeding into the house. Firefighters applied water to the flames but had to assume the wire was live, hindering their efforts. CMP was called to send a technician to deal with the line, but officials quickly realized that could take a while, given that it was a weekend. Since neighboring homes had power, they assumed the line was live and asked CMP to shut down the grid completely until the fire was extinguished.

Firefighters faced a number of challenges, including the fact that the power line was lying across Bull Ring Road, making access to the house difficult until the electricity had been turned off. The extreme cold was also a factor, with temperatures dropping to 6 degrees by 10 p.m. At least one firetruck had its pipes freeze during the fire. Luckily, this truck was on standby for the primary equipment being used at the scene. And firefighters had trouble accessing the house through all the snow.

No people were injured in this fire, but the family did lose several pets and livestock. The house is considered a total loss.

Do They Know What Caused the Fires?

The State Fire Marshal's Office will now investigate the causes of both house fires. Residents are reminded of the importance of having working smoke detectors in their homes.