WESTBROOK — When an apartment building at 445 Main St. caught fire last Friday, Westbrook firefighters were able to stop the blaze and get everyone out – but not without the help of quick-thinking and brave Westbrook residents.

Westbrook Fire Chief Andrew Turcotte said firefighters were alerted to the April 13 fire just before 9:30 p.m. One of the initial calls came from 16-year-old Tyler Brackett, a Westbrook High School sophomore, who saw the blaze while driving by.

“Tyler saw some smoke coming from the three-story apartment building and also saw fire coming from the first floor and stopped, ran over to the building and started knocking on doors and windows in an effort to alert tenants,” Turcotte said. “He then went back to his vehicle and started honking his horn to again alert tenants.”

Lisa Fogg, of State Street, was also among those who stopped after seeing the blaze. Like Brackett, Fogg, who was driving around the rotary on her way home for the evening, banged on doors and windows alerting those still inside. She also helped a woman and her cat to safety.

Turcotte said firefighters and emergency responders were “fortunate that community members did what they could to notify” residents of the danger and the fire department of the emergency.

“We never advise people to go into a burning building. It is dangerous. They could become another victim and it puts firefighters at risk because there is someone else to save,” Turcotte said. “Anytime anyone sees a building on fire, we encourage them to call and start yelling or knocking on doors or windows if it is safe to do so. The folks are certainly heroes because they were able to alert the residents so fast.”

While the work of Brackett and Fogg helped residents escape, Turcotte said when firefighters arrived, there were still a few residents inside the building, including a 2-year-old in a second-floor apartment and two occupants on the first floor. As one firefighter worked to pull one of the residents through a window, another entered the burning building to rescue the person on the first floor as another firefighter accessed the second floor to save the child. 

Turcotte said within minutes of their arrival, firefighters were able to rescue everyone.

“The crews did a good job. The fire was contained to the front part of the first floor. It is a big building and they did a good job making sure it didn’t engulf the entire structure,” Turcotte said.

The extent of damage was not known early this week, but the building has significant water and smoke damage and there was extensive fire damage to the first floor. Turcotte said he believes the building is salvageable, but “it would be up to the insurance company to make that determination.”

Officials continue to investigate the cause; it’s their belief that the blaze started on the ground floor of the building.

“The Fire Marshal’s office is still working on the origination and cause of the fire. We hope to have that information later this week,” Turcotte said Monday.

The building was outfitted with operational smoke detectors. This fire, Turcotte said, emphasizes the importance of paying attention to alarms when they go off  wherever they go off in a building. 

The Fire Marshal’s Office recommends smoke alarms be installed in every level of a home, as well as in each bedroom and preferably be interconnected so the alarm sounds no matter where the fire originated. Alarms should be tested monthly and replaced when they are a decade old. Specialized alarms are available for those individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing. Maine laws require landlords to provide alarms for each unit and ensure they are in working order. Buildings more than three stories tall must have alarms in each corridor and hallway as well.

Michael Kelley can be reached at 781-3661 x 125 or mkelley@keepmecurrent.com

Westbrook firefighters battle a fire at an apartment building at 445 Main Street last Friday in an effort to contain it to the first floor, where is it thought to have originated. The cause of the fire is being investigated by the Maine Fire Marshal’s office. (Courtesy photo)