Two men died and four people were injured Sunday in an early-morning fire at a rental property in Boothbay, fire officials said.

State Fire Marshal’s Office investigators said the fire started in the first-floor living room, according to Steve McCausland, spokesman for the Maine Department of Public Safety. The cause of the fire was still unknown Sunday night, he said.

Baldomero Zamora, 50, and Lucas Farias, 23, died in the fire. They were the boyfriend and son of Julie Gilbert, 48, who survived the fire by jumping out a second-floor window. All three were from Chicago, although Gilbert formerly lived in Damariscotta.

A Winslow woman and her two young children, all sleeping on the ground floor, escaped with minor injuries. Alexandra King, 26, and 8-year-old Harley Raymond and 4-year-old River Raymond were treated and released from the hospital, McCausland said.

Zamora and Farias apparently tried to escape, and their bodies were found near windows in two separate bedrooms, McCausland said.

Gilbert was listed in satisfactory condition at Maine Medical Center in Portland on Sunday night.

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The home at 116 Pleasant Cove Road had been rented for the weekend for a belated 50th birthday party for Zamora, McCausland said. Several friends had been over the night before to celebrate.

Sgt. Joel Davis of the state Fire Marshal’s Office said that when firefighters arrived, “the fire was too intense for them to get inside.”

The fire at the Cape Cod-style home, which is on a quiet residential street, started just before 8 a.m. It was reported by one of the occupants, McCausland said.

Boothbay Fire Chief Dick Spofford said the property has been for sale for several years, and was available to rent through the realty group selling the property.

The owners of the property, Troy and Trina Lewis, live about 2 miles away. A person who answered the phone at their house Sunday said they did not want to comment. The three-bedroom home, built in 1935, was listed for sale with the Pottle Realty Group for $142,000. Agent Clayton Pottle did not respond to phone and email messages.

Information regarding Boothbay regulations for rental housing and whether the property had any previous inspections was not available Sunday. It is unknown whether there were working smoke detectors in the home, McCausland said.

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State Fire Marshal’s Office investigators were on the scene Sunday afternoon, entering the heavily damaged house in protective suits and respirators. Spofford said state investigators would be back on the property Tuesday to continue their work.

Spofford said firefighters had to shuttle water to the scene from a pond about a mile away. “It was a hard spot,” he said.

There were no other injuries, the chief said.

Spofford said fire fatalities are rare in Boothbay.

“It is hard on the guys,” he said.

Beth Quimby can be contacted at 791-6363 or at:

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bquimby@pressherald.com

Noel K. Gallagher can be contacted at 791-6387 or at:

ngallagher@pressherald.com

Twitter: noelinmaine


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