State Fire Marshal

Sara Gagné-Holmes has worked in DHHS for five years, serving as acting commissioner since June. Waterville's former fire chief, Shawn Esler, was confirmed as the new state fire marshal.

Shawn Esler has served as Waterville's fire chief since 2018.

Last year, the Legislature's watchdog agency found "lingering concerns" about a hostile work environment and other problems within the small law enforcement agency that investigates fires and carries out inspections.

Three family members are believed to have died in the Riverside Avenue house fire.

The number of house fires has been steadily declining over the years, but it’s still a huge problem. In 2014, there were 1,298,000 fires reported in the…