Authorities say five people are dead after a fire in Portland, Maine early Saturday morning. VPC
Firefighters work to douse a fire that killed five people and injured at least one other person Saturday in Portland, Maine.(Photo: David Sharp, AP)
A fire that swept through an apartment building near a university campus in Maine on Saturday morning killed five people and critically injured at least one more.
Fire officials said they were looking for other people who attended a Halloween party at the building the previous night.
The two-story structure near the University of Southern Maine in Portland was a total loss.
"We do not know whether the victims are residents of the home or guests," state fire marshal office spokesman Steve McCausland told the Associated Press.
A spokesman for the university, Chris Quint, also said earlier in the day that he didn't know whether any of the victims were students.
"It's a tragic situation," he said. "Our hearts and thoughts go out to the families of those injured in this tragedy. We're still getting information in."
The person critically injured in the blaze was transported to a Boston hospital, where he is being treated for severe burns. State fire officials said he escaped the fire by jumping from a second-story window.
Neighbors told WCSH-TV the fire broke out after 6 a.m. and flames were visible in the building.
One of the residents who escaped, Nathan Long, told the Portland Press Herald that he smelled smoke when his alarm went off around 7 a.m. He said he yelled, "Fire!" and ran to the back of the house where another resident opened a window.
They both were able to jump onto a porch and then to the ground, where they saw the badly burned body of another tenant.
"I feel pretty lucky. I'm kind of numb," Long said, according to the Press Herald. He said he didn't remember hearing any smoke or fire alarms.
Portland city officials said the university's campus center was being used as a base for family and friends of the victims.
Contributing: WCSH-TV, Portland; the Associated Press
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