NORWAY — A Norway man was arrested Friday afternoon in connection with one of three fires that burned homes in Norway and Paris in the early morning hours.
Police arrested 34-year-old Richard Hodge in connection with a blaze at 32 Alpine St., a multiunit apartment house in Norway. That fire, officials said, was in an apartment and quickly extinguished.
Hodge was charged with arson and taken to the Oxford County Jail in Paris where he was being held without bail.
Local, state and federal investigators spent the day Friday on the scenes of three homes that burned.
Fire crews were dispatched to a reported fire around 2 a.m. Friday at 69 Beal St. in Norway.
Less than an hour later, at 2:47 a.m., a second fire was reported at 32 Alpine St. in Norway.
According to a Maine Department of Public Safety news release, an investigator from the Office of State Fire Marshal then discovered a third active fire at 27 Alpine St. in Paris.
“The investigator immediately alerted the occupants of two units — who were asleep at the time — and assisted in their rescue from the second floor using a ladder,” the release said.
Katie Thomas Culleton was on her way home from work at Oxford Casino about 1:45 a.m. when she drove upon the Beal Street fire.
There were two people in the street, she said, who appeared to have fled the burning building and more fire crews were showing up by the minute.
The fire, she said, appeared to be concentrated in the back of the house. She also heard explosions.
“There were some very big booms that come maybe within 10 minutes of arriving home,” Culleton said, “and very large embers flying. I could see smoke and some flames as I approached from Winter street.”
Culleton said the wail of fire engines heading to the various fire scenes continued until 4 a.m. It wasn’t until later Friday morning that she realized there had been two additional fires in her area.
The Beal Street home that burned was gutted and likely a total loss, according to a witness at the scene later Friday. It was at least the second fire there in the past 20 years, neighbors said.
A few Norway residents reported they were stopped by police who appeared to be searching for a person of interest in connection with the fires.
Several investigators from multiple agencies were at the scene of all three fires Friday afternoon. Witnesses said police searched at least one building as their investigation continued.
With Hodge in custody, police and fire officials were continuing to investigating the other two fires. Maine Public Safety Spokesman Lt. Aaron M. Turcotte said additional charges may be forthcoming.
Hodge has convictions in area courts for drug crimes and other offenses.
Assisting fire marshals are Oxford and Androscoggin counties’ sheriffs’ offices; Oxford, Paris and Norway police departments; and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Fire marshal investigators ask residents in the area to review home camera footage and report anything they see that may help in the investigation. Information can be relayed to the Office of State Fire Marshal by calling 207-624-7076.