Fire destroys home of Perry family of four

A Perry family of four lost their house and all of their possessions to a very hot fire on Tuesday evening, April 30. The home of Larry and Tiffany Hilderbrand Jr. and their two daughters, Ara, age 6, and Jemma, age 3, was completely destroyed by the blaze. Perry Fire Chief Paula Frost reports that everyone got out safely, but she adds, "If it had taken much longer to discover it, it might not have turned out so well."
The two-story house with an attached two-car garage was located down a narrow road about 500 yards off the South Meadow Road. The fire was called in at 5:59 p.m., and Frost says the house was fully involved when she arrived. A strong northwest wind was blowing 35 to 40 mph, a propane tank's release valve was about to start spewing the flammable gas, and the fire had spread into the woods, with another dwelling about 500 yards away through decaying trees that would have burned very quickly. Also, other propane tanks on the back side of the house were getting hot, a fuel barrel had ignited, and a car was on fire.
"Once the propane started coming out it was hot and loud like a jet engine," says Frost, adding that "before the propane tank became a Roman candle, the gas tanks in the truck and the Kia exploded." The car that was parked by the house was destroyed, with Frost noting, "You can't even tell it's a Kia anymore."
About 40 firefighters from the Perry, Charlotte, Robbinston, Pembroke, Pleasant Point and Eastport departments responded, with Frost noting that "14 pieces of apparatus" were used. A pumper was set up at a nearby bog from which water was shuttled to fight the blaze. A pumper, tanker and ladder truck were used at the nearby dwelling, while the rest of the trucks were used to fight the structure fire and the woods fire. Frost says the woods fire only extended about 20 yards. The fire chief was impressed with "how many departments and firefighters and apparatus" responded.
Firefighters were able to leave about 8:45 p.m. Frost says the fire was not completely out, but it was 20 degrees that night so it wouldn't restart.
Along with the house, vehicles and garage, a generator, a side-by-side utility vehicle, a large tool chest and everything in the house and garage were lost. "They got out with what they were wearing."
Larry Hilderbrand had been doing some grinding work on the truck in the garage, and Frost says the blaze may have started from a spark that landed in combustible material and caught the garage on fire.
The Hilderbrands have since been staying with family, and Frost says the Red Cross is providing clothing, food and vouchers. Also, a GoFundMe page has been set up on the Facebook page of Tiffany's sister, Trina Lea Apt, and Eastport Health Care, where Tiffany works, and True North Salmon in Machiasport, where Larry works, have been taking up collections and assisting. "There's a huge community response," says Frost.
Frost says the Hilderbrands have insurance, but she's not sure of the extent of the coverage.

Area rocked by tragedy
Frost notes that the area was "rocked by tragedy" during that week. Along with the Hilderbrand house fire, an accident the next day in Pembroke killed an Edmunds man, Michael Kilby, and seriously injured another, Matthew Seeley. The Perry Fire Department's Jaws of Life were used to help at the scene. Also that week, a Perry man was seriously burned by an outdoor furnace and a child in Perry was bitten on the head by a dog. Both were taken to a hospital in Portland.
"Downeast EMS has been out straight," says Frost, noting that they also responded to the fire and provided water and food for the firefighters.
"The communities are going to have to reach out and help a lot of families that have had changes in their lives, and we will," says Frost.