Wells, ME, Resident Charged for Assaulting Firefighters

Drew Johnson

Portland Press Herald, Maine

(TNS)

Aug. 15—A Wells resident has been charged with assaulting four firefighters after entering a "smoke-filled residence" in an attempt to retrieve pets from upstairs during a fire at a house on Clark Road on Tuesday, police say.

"While the Wells Police Department understands and empathizes with the deep bond between pet owners and their animals, we cannot condone violence against anyone," Wells police Capt. Adam Shaw said in a statement Friday. "The firefighters were actively working to protect lives and property when they were unexpectedly assaulted."

Wells police officers entered the building, "quickly intervened" and detained the person.

"The decision was made that the individual would be charged with assault on a firefighter, having physically assaulted four separate firefighters during the incident," Shaw said.

The Kennebunk Fire Department, which assisted in the call to the structure fire, said in a lengthy social media post Thursday that one of its firefighters was assaulted.

"The following may not be popular but is a harsh reality," the post states. "Human lives are higher on the priority of life than pets are. Firefighters will take risks to save your pets. You, however, should not. Human lives should not be lost trying to save animals. We get it, we like our pets often more than we like a lot of people, but it's not acceptable."

It states that if someone is interfering, refusing to leave or re-entering during an ongoing fire, it only makes matters worse.

"Fire doubles every thirty seconds, which will lead to more property loss, higher chance your pets won't survive, time taken away from searching for other humans, and increasing the risk to firefighters who are now faced with a more advanced fire," the department's social media post states.

The post goes on to say that many firefighters have seen people die after re-entering a burning building looking for a pet.

"This is certainly something no family should ever have to experience; as firefighters it is something that stays with us throughout our whole careers and lives," the post states.

The department said, in short, to follow the instructions they give to students during fire safety talks: "Get out and stay out!"