Perry man dies in fast-moving fire

A 32-year-old Perry man died in a house fire early in the morning on Sunday, March 1. Bradford Preston Jr., who was alone in the home on the Golding Road, perished in the wind-whipped blaze.
The fire was called in just before 6 a.m. by David Claroni, who lives down the road and was not able to enter the single-story house because there was too much fire, according to Perry Fire Chief Paula Frost. When firefighters arrived at the home near the intersection with the South Meadow Road, flames were going through the roof, the doors were locked from the inside and a vehicle was in the dooryard. Firefighters didn't know if anyone was inside, but Frost says there was no way they could enter the house.
Firefighters had to secure two large propane tanks that were next to the home, the wind was blowing 15 to 20 knots from the southwest, and with flames coming out the roof, "we had a wind-driven fire that burned all that more aggressively." The temperature was 110 and there were some issues with hypothermia, but no pumps or hoses froze up. Firefighters got water from the nearby Passamaquoddy Water District's treatment plant, where there's a hydrant.
About two dozen firefighters from the Perry, Pleasant Point, Eastport and Robbinston departments responded, along with Downeast EMS ambulance, the Pleasant Point Police Department and Washington County Sheriff's Office. The Farmers' Union brought coffee for the firefighters, and Frost notes, "There was a good community response."
The fire, which destroyed the home, was knocked down by 11 a.m. Initial reports indicated that two people were unaccounted for  Preston and his fiancé, Sharlyn Collins, but she was heard from about 11 a.m. The Maine Fire Marshal's Office was called early on, and investigators arrived around 11 a.m. Preston's body was located in a hallway, outside of his bedroom. An examination of the body showed he died of smoke inhalation.
The house is owned by Preston's mother and step-father, Phyllis and Robert Murray, who also live there, but they had spent the night at their camp.
Investigators say the fire started in the home's ceiling, in the dead space between the walls and the roof. While the cause was not determined, Frost says the fire is not of suspicious origin.
Frost expresses "really good kudos to the Washington County Regional Communications Center," since they helped make sure that more law enforcement officers came to help with traffic control and also helped ensure that fire marshal's office investigators came to the scene early.
Preston's cat Dixie also died in the fire. Along with his mother, step-father and fiancé, Preston is survived by his father, Bradford Preston Sr. of Dennysville, a sister, grandmother, niece and nephews.
Along with extending condolences to the family, Frost hopes that the community will step up to help them. She adds, "It's one of those things where you hoped it would end differently, but you knew from the beginning it wasn't going to."