Lewiston fire chief says 2 of 4 downtown fires definitely set

UPDATE

Lewiston Fire Chief Paul LeClair said at least two of the fires were definitely set, but officials have not said if any of the fires are connected.

The first fire occurred at 135 Oxford St. at approximately 1:30 a.m. That was followed at 2:58 a.m. by a fire at 44 Nichols St., which is at the corner of Holland Street.

While at the scene of that blaze, firefighters were then called to a larger fire at an apartment building at 23 Howe Street, which spread to another apartment building at 21 Howe St.

All seven apartments at 21 and 23 Howe St. were occupied, LeClair said. The buildings, just a couple of feet from one another, are both considered a total loss and will likely be torn down, LeClair added.

Fire officials said there were 11 people living in one of the buildings; the number displaced from the other is not yet known. At 9 a.m., firefighters were still soaking the wrecked roof of the building while dozens of people watched from the across the street.

According to Lewiston Fire Inspector Paul Ouellette, there was a fourth pre-dawn fire at 48 Howe St.

The fires at Oxford Street and at 48 Howe St. were definitely set, LeClair said. Residents of those buildings, however, were not displaced.

At one point during the morning, an estimated 50 firefighters from various departments had responded to fight the downtown fires.

Fire and police officials declined to answer any questions about whether officials had considered Thursday’s fires were close to the anniversary of a spree of arson fires set in the city starting April 29 last year that destroyed nine apartment buildings and displaced more than 200 people.

Officials are asking Lewiston landlords to be vigilant with their properties and to make sure there is no trash left outside.

LeClair requested that anyone with information on the fires is asked to contact the State Fire Marshal’s Office.

There were no reports of injury.

: Kristie Graham, left, of Lewiston, comforts her friend Shelly Brewer after a Lewiston firefighter told her “everything is pretty much gone” in her 3rd floor apartment on Howe Street in Lewiston Thursday morning. “All I wanted was my mothers ashes.” Brewer said.

: Firefighters battle a Thursday morning fire at 44 Nichols St.

: Firefighters battle a Thursday morning fire at 44 Nichols St.

: Kristie Graham, left, of Lewiston, comforts her friend Shelly Brewer after a Lewiston firefighter told her “everything is pretty much gone” in her third-floor apartment on Howe Street in Lewiston Thursday morning. “All I wanted was my mothers ashes.” Brewer said.

: Firefighters continued to extinguish a fire at 21 & 23 Howe Street in Lewiston Thursday morning, the third fire that morning. According to Lewiston Fire Inspector Paul Ouellette, there were four fires throughout the night and early morning, starting at 1:30 a.m., with crews still battling the largest at 21 & 23 Howe Street at daybreak. The four were at 135 Oxford, 44 Nichols, 21 & 23 Howe and 48 Howe.

: Lewiston firefighters clean up after a fire at 44 Nichols St. early Thursday morning. According to an unidentified city official, it was on a list of abandoned buildings to be submitted to the city council to be torn down.