RUMFORD – A longtime volunteer Mexico firefighter died Monday morning after suffering a medical emergency while responding to a Rumford fire call, police said.

According to a preliminary report, Harding Wentzell, 81, of Mexico suffered an apparent heart attack about 8:30 while driving on Route 2 toward Bridge Street, said investigating officer Mark Cayer.

Wentzell, the father of Mexico Fire Chief Gary Wentzell, was transported to Rumford Hospital by Med-Care Ambulance and later pronounced dead, said Med-Care Director Dean Milligan.

‘Excellent man’

In February, Harding Wentzell was named 2003 George Downes Memorial Firefighter of the Year by the Mexico Fire Department. He had been with the Fire Department continuously since 1980.

“He was an excellent firefighter and an excellent man who was extremely helpful at any fire call,” said Rumford Deputy Chief Scott Holmes. “Our condolences go out to the family.”

The accident occurred shortly after 8:20 a.m. when a fire was reported in a second-floor kitchen of the Muskie Building on Congress Street, Holmes said.

Firefighters from Mexico, Dixfield, Peru and Andover were summoned as mutual aid help when arriving Rumford firefighters smelled smoke in the large complex, Holmes said. Several ambulances from Med-Care in Mexico and Tri-Town Ambulance of West Paris were also summoned should tenants in the six-story building need to be evacuated.

Harding Wentzell, a volunteer who led Mexico’s Fire Police unit, was seen driving through the rotary, alert and focused, heading for the intersection of Congress and Bridge streets to handle traffic control for emergency responders.

But somewhere between Rumford Library and Meader and Son Funeral Home at 3 Franklin St., he suffered an apparent heart attack, police said.

Harding Wentzell’s 1993 Buick veered off Route 2, traveling uphill just past the funeral home, severing a large wooden street sign post and colliding head-on into a large tree.

The engine compartment burst into flames.

“When I arrived, the car was burning from the engine compartment,” said Rumford officer Mark Cayer. “There were two citizens attempting to pull him out.”

Cayer helped Matt Pelletier, 27, and Bruce Bulger, both of Rumford, pull Harding Wentzell from the burning Buick, then another passerby, Eugene Frost, 52, helped the men move him farther from the car, Cayer said.

“They put themselves in harm’s way to help,” Cayer said.

While the men performed lifesaving measures on Harding Wentzell, who was lying on the pavement, an explosion rocked the car.

Then Rumford firefighters arrived, including a firetruck from the Rumford Point Fire Station en route to the Muskie Building fire, to attack the fire in Wentzell’s car.

Additional Rumford firefighters took over cardiopulmonary resuscitation work on Wentzell and continued until Med-Care paramedics Chris Moretto and Mike Dixon arrived to take over.

As attempts were being made to revive his father, Gary Wentzell, who had been at the Muskie Building fire, watched from a short distance after being driven to the scene by Detective Lt. Wayne Gallant.

Bystanders were pressed into service by police to divert traffic after that section of Route 2 was shut down. Other officers diverted traffic on Congress and Bridge streets.

Rumford firefighters, using hydraulic tools, had to cut the Buick’s dash apart to fully extinguish the stubborn blaze. Roland’s Automotive of Rumford then towed the totaled car.

Holmes said one tenant in the Muskie Building was transported to Rumford Hospital and treated for smoke inhalation following a “pretty smoky” cooking fire that destroyed two cooking appliances.

Despite the fire, which was confined to the kitchen, tenants did not have to be evacuated

[email protected]