Fire investigators have confirmed the identities of two victims in a Sept. 21 apartment fire in Portland and determined the blaze was accidental.
The Office of Chief Medical Examiner identified the victims as 45-year-old Nicole Niehoff and 40-year-old Jake Millett, both of Portland. The fire broke out at a four-unit apartment building and was investigated by the Portland Fire Department and the Office of State Fire Marshal.
Investigators concluded the fire originated on the second-floor back deck of the apartment where the victims died. The cause has been classified as accidental, with careless disposal of smoking materials considered a possible factor.
The findings close a major phase of the investigation, which drew a large emergency response and focused on determining both the source and the circumstances of the fatal blaze.
