PORTLAND

Fire damages apartment, sends tenants to hospital

Fire damaged a State Street apartment Monday afternoon and sent two tenants to Maine Medical Center for treatment of unspecified injuries, Deputy Fire Chief Robert Wassick said.

Smoke alarms went off and tenants reported the fire around 3 p.m. in the 13-unit historic brick house at 264 State St., Wassick said.

The blaze started in a first-floor apartment, where fire, smoke and water damage was severe, Wassick said. The cause is under investigation.

Wassick said he didn’t know the names or the conditions of the tenants who were taken to the hospital.

Damage to the rest of the building was minimal and other tenants were expected to return to their apartments Monday evening, he said.

A third-floor tenant, who was unable to use the stairs because of smoke, crawled out a window to a waiting ladder truck and was unharmed, Wassick said.

Michael Scannell of Portland, who owns the house built in 1887 for Charles Tobie, said the building is insured.

BATH

Police arrest Bath suspect in stabbing of girlfriend

Police arrested a 28-year-old Bath man after he allegedly stabbed his girlfriend repeatedly in the neck Monday morning.

The woman, whose name was not released, was in serious but stable condition at Maine Medical Center in Portland, Bath police said.

Police said they responded to a call about a fight shortly before 7 a.m. at a Washington Street apartment building.

When they arrived, they found a 38-year-old woman with serious stab wounds to her neck and shoulder.

The woman and other witnesses in the apartment said she had been stabbed by Matthew Wycoff, who was described as the victim’s live-in boyfiend. Witnesses said Wycoff left the apartment after the fight in a black Kia SUV.

Topsham police spotted the Kia at Gibbs gas station on Main Street about 7:30 a.m. They arrested Wycoff and handed him over to Bath police a short time later.

Wycoff was charged with elevated aggravated assault and was held at Two Bridges Regional Jail on Monday night in lieu of $100,000 cash bail.

NORRIDGEWOCK

Firefighters respond twice to fires at same address

A fire believed to have started from hot embers falling out of a fireplace onto the floor early Sunday gutted a house at 271 River Road, according to fire officials.

It was the second fire at the home of Matthew Fine within nine hours.

A fire that started around 9:30 p.m. Saturday in a garage attached to the house was caused by improper disposal of smoking materials in the trash inside the garage, according to Edward Hastings, an investigator with the state Fire Marshal’s Office who was at the scene Sunday morning.

The first fire caused some smoke damage to the house, according to fire Capt. Steve Ireland.

“We put it out, we left and then again this morning, we got toned out for a fully engulfed house fire,” he said.

Hastings said Central Maine Power Co. had turned off power to the house Saturday night. After the garage fire was put out, Fine stayed at the house and was using a wood fireplace to heat it, Hastings said.

He said hot embers falling out of the fireplace onto the floor “probably” caused the house fire, which heavily damaged the structure.

CALAIS

Community college leader will retire at end of June

The president of Maine’s Washington County Community College in Calais will retire at the end of June.

Joyce Hedlund has spent 43 years in education, 25 years in Maine’s community college system.

Before taking the top job in Calais in 2010, Hedlund spent 16 years as president of Eastern Maine Community College in Bangor.

Washington County Community College has about 500 students and a 21-member faculty.

The Bangor Daily News said a national search is now under way for Hedlund’s successor.