March 28, 2024
BANGOR DAILY NEWS (BANGOR, MAINE

Portland man rescues wife from blaze

PORTLAND — A Portland man suffered second-degree burns while helping his disabled wife escape a house fire that was set by a boy playing with a lighter.

The 4-year-old boy, his brother and three other family members also left the building as flames spread through the first floor of the two-family home, said Deputy Fire Chief Ronald Thompson.

The fire started Thursday morning when the boy was playing with a grill lighter in the first-floor living room, said Detective Daniel Young. The child accidentally set fire to a pile of clothes on a living room couch, he said.

As the home burned, James Ashey broke a window and brought his wife to safety, Young said. Relatives said Jean Ashey has cancer and cannot walk.

James Ashey, 49, suffered burns on his shoulder and back. Ashey was in intensive care Thursday at Maine Medical Center, where he was listed in fair condition with second-degree burns on 10 percent of his body, a hospital spokeswoman said. He also suffered a broken wrist.

Mrs. Ashey, 49, was burned on her arm and leg. She was in satisfactory condition with second-degree burns on 8 percent of her body, the spokeswoman said.

It took firefighters 30 minutes to bring the fire under control, Thompson said. The first floor of the home was heavily damaged, and there was considerable smoke damage on the second floor, he said. Relatives said the home was insured and would be repaired.


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