A Bath family escaped a fire at 10 Pearl St. on Monday morning. Contributed photo
BATH — A child playing with fire sparked a blaze that severely damaged a Pearl Street home Monday morning, according to a state fire marshal’s office investigator.
Everyone escaped the home safely. Sgt. Joel Davis of the state fire marshal’s office said he doesn’t anticipate any charges.
Bath Fire Chief Lawrence Renaud said the fire appears to have started in a bedroom closet on the second floor. Firefighters were called to the home at 10 Pearl St. at 8:20 a.m.
Renaud said flames were shooting from second-story windows of the 190-year-old house when firefighters arrived. Firefighters had been told a 7-year boy was trapped inside the building.
“By the time we got over, the 7 year old had [gotten] out,” Renaud said.
The fire spread rapidly, but firefighters extinguished it before it spread to the first floor or other homes in the neighborhood. The second floor sustained serious structural damage. and the first floor has water, smoke and heat damage, Renaud said.
The home is owned by Jason and Melissa Chretien. Melissa Chretien said everyone made it out safely, including the family’s dog.
“I’m so grateful for everyone helping,” Chretien said. The home is insured.
Danielle Peavey lives behind the house on Front Street. She said she saw her neighbors running around frantically and when she opened her window, she could hear the smoke alarm and heard a woman yelling “fire.” She ran around the corner and saw the second story ablaze.
Peavey said a tree between 10 Pearl St., and a neighboring house started to catch fire. She worried the blaze could spread to other homes.
“I was scared,” she said. “It’s scary. It’s not something you want to see first thing on a Monday morning.”
Renaud said firefighters came from at least four neighboring towns to help extinguish the flames.
A live wire that fell into the road, hampering firefighting efforts for about 10 minutes, Renaud said. Crews had to wait for Central Maine Power to deactivate the wire.
Renaud said the fire department will reach out to the American Red Cross so the organization can assist the Chretien family in the aftermath of the fire.
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