PORTLAND, Maine - Investigators have concluded that a fire that killed six people in a Portland apartment building was an accident caused by improper disposal of smoking materials.
The fire, on Noyes Street, started in the early hours of Nov. 1, after a Halloween party the night before.
Speaking at a downtown news conference this morning, Portland Fire Chief Jerome LaMoria says the state's deadliest blaze in 40 years started on the porch of the home, in what he calls an "improperly utilized smoking receptacle."
"Because of the location of the fire and time of day, this fire grew in intensity undetected," LaMoria said.
LaMoria - who says there were no working smoke detectors in the house - says the porch was in flames by the time the fire was discovered, making that exit impassable.
The full report has not yet been released. LaMoria says it's being forwarded to the district attorney's office to determine whether the building was being legally utilized.