Investigators from the State Fire Marshal’s Office believe the man killed in a Wednesday fire in Lebanon was 57-year-old Kevin Struble.
Struble, who used a wheelchair, died during the fire at his home at 185 Bakers Grant Road on Wednesday afternoon. Positive identification will be completed by the Medical Examiner’s Office.
Struble was found near his wheelchair in the living room of the home, said Stephen McCausland, spokesman for the Maine Department of Public Safety. The fire started in the basement of the house, but the exact cause cannot be determined.
Struble is the 19th fire fatality in Maine this year.
Neighbors on Bakers Grant Road said Struble was a friendly man, despite his gruff exterior. They said he had faced multiple challenges in recent years, including the deaths of his wife and mother and medical issues that led to the amputation of his legs at the knees and serious vision problems.
Neighbors spotted smoke and flames around noon, but were unable to get inside.
“The house was full of smoke and the back was on fire. We knew there was no going in,” said Tim Nice, a neighbor who ran to the home when he spotted smoke. “I knew (Struble) hadn’t gotten out. It had just snowed and there no wheel tracks on the ramp.”
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