PARIS – A Paris Hill man remained in critical condition at Maine Medical Center in Portland as of 9:45 p.m. Wednesday, after fire destroyed his home here Tuesday night.
Eric Richardson, 37, suffered first- and second-degree burns to his hands, chest, arms, back and face, as well as smoke inhalation, investigator Richard Shepard of the State Fire Marshal’s Office said. Richardson tried to control a fire that broke out in his living room and was caused by an improperly installed wood stove, he said.
“There was no protection on the walls and the floors,” Shepard said. He arrived at the scene after midnight and worked through the night to determine the cause, he said.
Eric and Betty Ann Richardson lost everything, including several cats and dogs, in the fast-moving fire at 182 Paris Hill Road. Reported shortly after 10 p.m., the fire was extinguished by fire departments from Paris, Norway, Oxford and Hebron.
Paris Fire Chief Brad Frost said he visited the site Wednesday afternoon to look for three dogs and four or five cats that lived there. He said he did not find animals roaming nearby.
The American Red Cross is providing temporary housing, clothes and food, executive director Douglas Hoyt said Wednesday.
Shepard said Betty Richardson told him that the house was not insured. The couple work at Dunkin’ Donuts’ bakery in the Lewiston industrial park, according to Shepard.
Frost said people who want to install wood stoves should check with their town’s code enforcement officer or fire department. He said that his fire department would also make home visit to check the safety of a stove.
“I’d rather do that than pull a body out,” he said.
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