Investigators: Ellsworth house fire started near wood stove

ELLSWORTH – A fire that destroyed a Davis Street home on Wednesday originated near a first-floor wood stove but exactly how it started may never be learned, fire investigators determined Thursday.

Ellsworth Fire Chief Jon Marshall said Thursday afternoon that investigators still needed to finish interviewing the homeowners, but he was confident the fire started near the working wood stove.

“It could have been something that got too close to the stove,” he said. “We have learned that the stove was burning at the time of the fire, so there was a heat source. We may never be able to get beyond that.”

Dozens of firefighters responded on Wednesday morning to the three-story home on Davis Street near downtown Ellsworth.

The homeowners, Albert and Brenda Varnum and their four children, were not home when the fire broke out shortly after 9:30 a.m. A family golden retriever was inside, however, and is presumed dead.

Oak Street (Route 1A) between Davis and Birch Avenue was closed to traffic for several hours as firefighters battled the blaze in frigid conditions.

Although the structure remained somewhat intact, most everything inside was ruined.

“They cleaned out some of their stuff that they were able to salvage,” Marshall said. “I would assume they will have to demolish the structure, based on what’s left.”

Firefighters from Ellsworth and several adjoining towns spent nearly the entire day at the scene.

“The cold sapped them a little and some of us who are no longer 25 didn’t fare as well as some others, but we came out of it pretty well,” Marshall said.

The Varnums stayed in a local hotel on Wednesday night with assistance provided by the American Red Cross Pine Tree Chapter.

The couple did have insurance, according to Marshall, and was in the process of filing a claim.