Fire officials found a human body and a deceased dog inside a home at 70 Pleasant Drive in Benton that burned early Wednesday.

The Office of State Fire Marshal’s Office responded around 2:07 a.m. to the fire at the request of Fairfield-Benton Fire & Rescue, Shannon Moss, spokeswoman for the Maine Department of Public Safety, said in a news release.

When firefighters arrived at the single-family home, they found it fully involved, Moss said.

Waterville, Albion, Clinton, Skowhegan and Oakland fire departments also responded to the fire.

“Suppression efforts brought the fire under control, though Pleasant Street was temporarily closed to allow for emergency operations,” Moss said. “During firefighting operations, crews located a deceased individual inside the residence. The deceased was transported to the Office of Chief Medical Examiner in Augusta to determine the cause of death and for positive identification.”

The dog also was located inside the home, according to Moss.

“The cause of the fire remains under investigation,” she said. “No further information is available at this time.”  

Fairfield and Benton fire Chief Travis Leary did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Pleasant Drive is located between Bridge Street and River Road and runs parallel to the Kennebec River. It is the first street on the left after one crosses the three bridges crossing the Kennebec between Fairfield and Benton.

Benton’s 2025 real estate tax commitment records show that Paul F. Verville Jr. owns the property at 70 Pleasant Drive.

The blaze follows a fire that occurred Saturday on Ridge Road in Fairfield in which two firefighters were injured.