GORHAM –A spectacular fire March 11, which destroyed the home and barn of a Gorham man accused of possessing child pornography, remains under investigation this week.

The property at 8 Newell St., is owned by Ronald Meserve, according to Gorham tax records, and previously had been a child day care. Meserve was arrested by state police at the house in June.

According to a court document, Meserve, 63, is accused of five counts of possessing sexual explicit material of a minor under 12 and three counts of possessing sexually explicit material.

A court clerk said this week that Meserve is scheduled for a hearing for a misdemeanor plea in Cumberland County Superior Court in Portland Friday, March 19. Meserve is out on $5,000 bail.

Gorham Deputy Fire Chief Ken Fickett said this week the cause of the fire is still undetermined but he said the fire is not suspicious “at this time.”

“It’s an active investigation,” Fickett said Wednesday.

The state’s fire marshal’s office, Gorham Fire Department and Gorham Police Department are investigating. Dan Young Sr. of the fire marshal’s office was at the scene Friday morning and spoke with Ronald Meserve while smoke still rose from charred embers of the farmhouse, which was built in 1900.

Gorham Police Chief Ronald Shepard said that Gorham’s Detective Sears Edwards has been assigned to the investigation.

“We are assisting the fire marshal’s office,” Shepard said Tuesday.

From the rubble of the barn, investigators retrieved electrical gear that is being analyzed. “We’re working with the state electrical inspector,” Fickett said.

Fickett said the three-alarm fire was reported at 7:45 p.m. on March 11 and the buildings were “fully involved” when firefighters arrived. Fickett said five people – including Meserve and his wife Darlene, along with non-family members Shana Damon, Edward Warren and Kenneth Corbin – were in the home. All escaped uninjured.

The Meserves are believed to be staying with family members. Contacted by cell phone this week, Darlene Meserve declined to comment about the fire.

The fire claimed the lives of several pets. Fickett said a couple of cats leaped from windows to escape the blaze.

Erin Christianson, a neighbor and friend of Darlene Meserve, said Tuesday that one dog escaped, but a puppy perished. She said the Meserves are missing several cats.

“They’re searching for the rest of their animals,” said Christianson, who since the fire has put out food for the missing cats.

Fickett said the fire started somewhere in the three-story barn. He said flames were shooting 50 feet above the old barn. Fickett said firefighters didn’t have a chance of saving the buildings.

Jennifer Wescott of Westbrook, wife of Windham’s Deputy Fire Chief John Wescott, said Friday the fire was visible for “miles around.”

“It was just a big glow in the sky,” Wescott said.

The town’s assessed value of the buildings is $118,000. Fickett said that Meserve told him he had insurance but Fickett didn’t know to what extent.

On June 9, state police arrested Ronald Meserve on charges of possession of child pornography.

The state police unit, which initiated an investigation, seized computers at the home. Sgt. Glenn Lang, supervisor of the state police computer crimes unit, said Wednesday that possessing sexual explicit material of a minor under 12 is a felony.

Tamara Getchell, a spokeswoman at Cumberland County District Attorney’s Office, said Meserve was indicted in September and arraigned in October. Sarah Churchill of Strike, Goodwin & O’Brien of Portland, according to court documents, is Meserve’s lawyer. But Churchill could not be reached for comment by the American Journal deadline Wednesday.

The Teddy Bear Day Care, which was licensed to Darlene Meserve, was located in the house, but suspended operations voluntarily pending an investigation the day after the arrest, said John Martins, a spokesman for the Department of Health and Human Services.

Martins said the day care was cited for neglect for physical plant issues and lack of supervision, but he declined to reveal any specifics.

“I’m sure we look at everything,” Martins said when asked about fire safety issues.

Martins said Darlene Meserve appealed, but the finding was upheld and she agreed to close on July 27. Martins said children have not been in the day care since June 10.

This home on Newell Street in Gorham went up in flames on March 11. The owner, his wife and three family members escaped unharmed.
Courtesy photo