Maine Police Officer Saves Woman From Farmhouse Fire

HOLDEN, Maine -- A Holden police officer rescued a woman from an early-morning blaze that destroyed the 2 1/2 -story farmhouse she and her three children lived in.

There were no fatalities or injuries from the fire that scorched much of the building at 45 Rowell Road known locally as The Howard Farm.

"A woman called 911 and Penobscot Regional Communications Center at 4:57 a.m. and said her house was on fire and she couldn't get out," Holden Public Safety Director James Ellis said. "Officer Ken Dowling was on overnight patrol and was the first to respond. He helped her open a window on the first floor and pulled her out to safety."

Catherine Grignac, 45, was treated on the scene for minor smoke inhalation but did not have to be taken to a hospital.

The farmhouse is owned by James Howard, but it was daughter Grignac and her three children -- two boys, ages 12 and 15, and an 18-year-old daughter -- who were living there. None of the children were home at the time of the fire.

Fire crews arrived at 5:10 a.m. and reported heavy fire visible with flames coming through the roof.

"Part of the wood frame house is still standing, but it's a total loss along with all possessions," Ellis said. "There were no smoke detectors and she had no insurance."

The cause of the fire is not yet known. The State Fire Marshal's Office will begin investigating next week, Ellis said.

Grignac and her family had three dogs, two of whom died in the fire. Two adjacent barns housing equipment as well as goats and geese were saved by fire crews responding from Brewer, Eddington, Orrington, Dedham, Bradley, Bangor and Hampden.

"It required a lot of tankers," said Ellis. "The nearest fire hydrant was more than a mile away, so we had to use tanker shuttles with a rural hitch that allowed us to hook up two tankers and once and get a water flow of almost 900 gallons a minute."

The American Red Cross also responded to the scene. While no official donation or help fund has been set up for the family, those wishing to help can contact the Red Cross at 73 Hammond St. in Bangor by calling 941-2903.

Copyright 2012 - Bangor Daily News, Maine

McClatchy-Tribune News Service