Fire claims life of Presque Isle man
By Kathy McCarty
Staff Writer
PRESQUE ISLE — A local man has died and his family is homeless, following an early-morning fire at their home on the Tompkins Road on Sunday.
“The Presque Isle Fire Department responded to a mobile home at 5:23 a.m. on March 10 at 14 Tompkins Road. One civilian fatality was reported at the scene,” said Deputy Chief Adam Rider, PIFD.
Rider said the Fire Marshal’s Office headed up the investigation and were on scene later in the day.
“We received mutual aid from Caribou and Easton fire departments. We had a crew of 12 personnel at the fire and a crew standing by at the fire station,” Rider said.
Stephen McCausland, spokesperson for the Maine Department of Public Safety, identified the victim as 36-year-old Shawn Whitington.
“Fire investigators believe the dead man is Shawn Whitington, who lived at the home with his girlfriend and their 4-year-old daughter. The two others were not home when the fire broke out,” said McCausland.
According to McCausland, the girlfriend, identified as Tricia Ciccolella, discovered the fire when she returned home about 4:30 a.m. with friends.
“The woman and her friends attempted to gain entry to the home but were forced back by smoke and fire. Whitington had been with the others earlier in the night but had gone home about 1 a.m.,” McCausland said.
Whitington’s body was found in his bedroom after firefighters put the fire out.
“The body will be examined by the state Medical Examiner’s Office. The mobile home at 14 Tompkins Road was destroyed,” said McCausland, noting a team of three fire marshal investigators responded to the scene and have determined smoking materials were likely what caused the blaze.
