MEXICO — One man was killed and another suffered serious injuries after fire destroyed a two-story home Saturday at 6 Brown St.
Maine Police Spokesman Stephen McCausland said that 45-year-old Dean Watson died in the blaze.
Thomas Brown, the upstairs tenant, was transported by Med-Care Ambulance before he was taken by LifeFlight to Maine Medical Center in Portland for smoke inhalation.
Mexico Police Chief Roy Hodsdon said he could not confirm that the man had jumped from the second floor of the home.
Hodsdon said a 911 call came in at 12:03 p.m. that the south side of the residence was on fire. He said the 911 caller and a passerby were able to rescue the homeowner, John Watson, who is in his 80s. He was the father of the deceased.
McCausland said the fire began on a rear porch, and the home had no working smoke detectors. The official cause is under investigation.
About 75 minutes into the fire, Watson, sitting in a vehicle across the street, talked about what had happened.
“My son had served me coffee in the living room,” he said. “I was watching CNN. About 30 minutes later, I saw heavy smoke. I got down on my stomach and tried to get out through the kitchen. Someone pulled me out.”
Watson said he knew his upstairs tenant had escaped, but was concerned that he had not seen his son.
Later, while inside a Med-Care ambulance, Watson was told his son had died in the fire.
Numerous fire departments responded with equipment and manpower, including Mexico, Rumford, Dixfield, Peru, Greenwood, Woodstock and Jay. The Roxbury Fire Department provided coverage for Mexico.
Around 4:30 p.m., Davis indicated that the building was being taken down for safety reasons.
Brown Street, as well as a portion of the Roxbury Road from Main Street to the Mexico One Stop, was closed to traffic for four hours.
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