The search for the cause of a fire that critically injured a woman and heavily damaged two Munjoy Hill townhouses Saturday is being slowed by ice that has coated the structure since firefighters extinguished the blaze.
A neighbor says the fire that destroyed two Munjoy Hill townhouse units appeared to have started on the second floor. Photo by Bonnie Washuk/Staff Writer
Portland Fire Capt. John Brennan said it will likely be mid-week before investigators can safely get into the North Street townhouses where the fire broke out before dawn Saturday.
The injured woman remained hospitalized Monday in critical condition, Brennan said. She is believed to be 31 or 32, but officials haven’t yet determined her date of birth and have not released her name.
In all, 18 people were displaced because of the fire.
The fire appears to have started in the garage at the rear of the building and then spread to the townhouses, so investigators will probably focus their efforts there, Brennan said.
The front of a car parked just outside the garage appeared to have been damaged by fire, and the garage was boarded up Monday. Police tape surrounded about a half-dozen units at the development, which features townhouses built side-by-side with about 3 feet between each two-unit building.
The blaze spread quickly, and fire officials sounding three alarms, which brought all available city firefighters to the scene near the crest of Munjoy Hill. But the worst damage appears to be confined to 117-119 North St. Brennan said firewalls and the gaps between the buildings helped reduce the spread.
He said fire crews searched the first floor of each unit as other firefighters fought the blaze, but the crews were withdrawn over concerns about the integrity of the roof.
The local chapter of the American Red Cross said it is assisting 18 people displaced by the fire. All are staying with friends and relatives, said Jennifer Costa, regional communications director for the organization’s Northern New England region.
The Red Cross is providing health services and addressing immediate needs, such as clothing and medicine, Costa said, and making referrals to other organizations for long-term help for those displaced.
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