A fire at a Hermon mobile home that killed a 9-year-old boy was accidentally caused when one of the children began cooking on the stove.

A pizza box was ignited by a stove burner, according to the State Fire Marshal’s Office.

The fire at 292 Wing Road was reported at 7:15 a.m., July 7. The adult residents of the home, John Parker and Lasey Reidy, had left three children alone after getting up to do errands, according to the fire marshal’s office.

Wyatt Parker of Levant died in the fire. His body was found in the living room. He had spent the night with his cousins Ashlyn Parker, 10, and John Parker, 8. Ashlyn was rescued from her bedroom by firefighters and was taken to Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor for treatment for smoke inhalation. The 8-year-old escaped uninjured and flagged down motorists for help.

Although investigators found a smoke detector in the home missing its batteries, fire investigators were told by the 10-year-old that she heard one beeping.

The fire investigator’s report will be submitted for review by the district attorney for possible charges.

Matt Byrne can be contacted at 791-6303 or at:

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Twitter: MattByrnePPH