WINN, Maine — State fire investigators are looking into a fatal house fire that broke out early Thursday morning in Winn.
According to officials, the Lincoln Fire Department responded at about 1:28 a.m. on March 19 to a reported house fire at 1115 Route 168. When firefighters arrived, they found the home heavily engulfed in flames.
Five people were able to escape the residence before firefighters got there, but they told first responders that an elderly woman was still inside and unaccounted for.
Because of the report of a missing occupant, the Lincoln Fire Department called in the Office of the State Fire Marshal to assist with the investigation. Fire Marshal investigators responded to the scene and, at about 9:30 a.m., located and removed the body of a deceased woman from the fire debris.
Officials said the body was transported to the Office of Chief Medical Examiner in Augusta to determine the cause of death and confirm the victim’s identity.
The other occupants of the home suffered smoke inhalation and were taken to a local hospital in Lincoln for evaluation. Authorities said all of them were treated and later released.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Officials said more information will be released as it becomes available.
