PORTLAND (AP) — An empty house lot serves as a daily reminder of a fire that killed six people three years ago in Maine’s largest city.
The owner of the property, Gregory Nisbet, continues to fight jail time and civil lawsuits. His Portland property, meanwhile, is overgrown and strewn with debris.
Nearby resident Carol Schiller complained to the city that the unkempt, empty lot creates a “feeling of despair” by serving as a reminder of the “horrendous tragedy.”
The fire early on Nov. 1, 2014, was the deadliest in Portland in decades.
It started in a plastic disposal container for cigarette butts after the residents hosted a Halloween party at the home.
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