Pembroke family of five loses home to fire

Before daybreak on Wednesday morning, September 3, flames reaching high above the tree line lit the area surrounding 27 East River Road in Pembroke. The home of Katherine and Jeremy Jurdak caught fire while they and their family slept. Screams and explosions woke neighbors who rushed, many on foot, to help.

All five members of the family who were at the home at the time of the fire were able to exit the structure safely, including their infant grandchild and their two daughters, the younger of whom had planned to start her first day of high school that morning. The Jurdaks had been roused from sleep by the barking of the family's St. Bernard dog. One of their dogs was lost.

According to Pembroke Fire Chief James Ramsdell, the fire started in the barn. It was fueled by stored cans of paint before spreading to a vehicle and then to the home. The cause of the fire is still being investigated by the State Fire Marshal's Office.

The fire was called in at 4:48 a.m. by both the Jurdaks and neighbors. Twenty‑five firefighters arrived to battle the blaze, drawing from the Pembroke, Perry and Dennysville departments. Wind that morning was blowing 6 mph, but the fire was controlled before it spread, which would have been particularly challenging due to the recent dry weather the area has experienced.

Chief Ramsdell says challenges faced by firefighters included insufficient functioning smoke detectors in the home or barn and an accumulation of ATV tires close to the tree line that had caught fire and had to be monitored by responders to keep the woods from catching fire. In addition, the fire had gotten into the walls and ceilings of the manufactured home. When this happens, it becomes very difficult to extinguish the blaze without opening the walls and ceilings, which can impact building stability and increase the danger to those inside. Usually, Ramsdell explained, this cannot be done fast enough to fully extinguish a fire of this magnitude.

The barn, vehicle and home are considered a total loss. Though the Jurdaks had insurance, the family is devastated by this fire.

Washington County community members are encouraged, especially as fall and winter approach, to check or replace all smoke detectors and their batteries, to discard unused flammable materials that may be long stored and forgotten, to clean chimneys and to consider carbon monoxide alarms and extinguishers.

Chief Ramsdell called the Red Cross upon his arrival to the site, and they arrived that morning. As the family lost everything in the fire, neighbors who ran on foot to the home brought shoes for Katherine and Jeremy Jurdak and their two daughters and took charge of the baby while the Jurdaks assessed their situation. Within four hours of the fire, Pembroke community members organized a chain‑of‑contact, relieving the Jurdaks of having to field the many inbound calls they received from friends and neighbors offering aid. An apartment was provided that the family moved into the night after the fire.

In addition, a benefit dinner and penny‑raffle were held at the former Charlotte school on Sunday evening, September 7. The family's clothing and shoe sizes are on the Pembroke Maine Community Page, and friends are organizing the reception of donated items. To donate to the Jurdak family, contact Victoria at 207‑904‑9519.