Fatal House Fire in Readfield Claims Life of 75-Year-Old Woman

A woman is dead and her husband remains in serious condition following a house fire Friday night in Readfield.

According to a press release from the Maine Department of Public Safety The Readfield Fire Department responded to a reported house fire at 421 Plains Road around 9:51 p.m. on April 3. When firefighters arrived, they found the home heavily involved in flames.

Neighbors were already helping 74-year-old Jerrold Wentworth, who had escaped the burning home through a second-floor window. Wentworth told firefighters that his wife, 75-year-old Carolyn Wentworth, was still inside the home on the second floor.

Due to intense fire conditions, firefighters were unable to safely enter the residence to attempt a rescue.

The Maine State Fire Marshal’s Office was called to the scene and began an investigation. After an extended search, investigators located a deceased victim in the debris around 1:45 a.m. Saturday in the area where Carolyn Wentworth had reportedly been sleeping.

The victim was transported to the Office of Chief Medical Examiner in Augusta for positive identification and to determine the cause of death.

Jerrold Wentworth was taken to MaineGeneral Medical Center in Augusta, where he remains in serious condition.

Fire investigators returned to the scene later Saturday to continue examining the home and interviewing neighbors as they work to determine the origin and cause of the fire.

The investigation remains ongoing, and officials say additional information will be released as it becomes available.