The body of a 79-year-old man was discovered Saturday after a fire inside his home in the Oxford County town of Upton.

Steve McCausland, spokesman for the Maine Department of Public Safety, said Sunday that friends went to Norman Mercier’s home on Route 26 after becoming concerned for his well-being. When they encountered blackened windows, the friends notified the Oxford County Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies entered the home and found Mercier’s body on Saturday afternoon. An investigation by the State Fire Marshal’s Office concluded that Mercier was overcome after a wood stove in his living room ignited near combustible materials.

The fire, which caused heavy smoke damage through the 1.5-story home, likely took place sometime last week.

McCausland said the fire likely extinguished itself due to a lack of oxygen.

Upton is located in northwestern Oxford County on Maine’s border with New Hampshire. It is located near the Lake Umbagog National Wildlife Refuge.

Dennis Hoey can be contacted at 791-6365 or at:

dhoey@pressherald.com

 

 

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