MONROE — A late-night house fire in Monroe, May 15, has left one man dead, according to Monroe Fire Chief Ken Clements. The man, tentatively identified by the Maine Department of Public Safety spokesman Steve McCausland as Randy Oliver, 56, was discovered in the charred debris of the home at approximately 6 a.m., May 16. Confirmation of the identity of the deceased has not yet occurred, Clements said.

Clements said he received the initial page around 11:30 p.m., after the fire was discovered by a passerby. It took five fire departments, including Monroe, Brooks, Jackson, Frankfort and West Frankfort approximately three hours to fully extinguish the flame, according to Clements. Firefighters hauled water from a nearby pond to help extinguish the blaze.

Clements said that although the flames were put out relatively quickly, the debris wasn’t cool enough to enter until much later.

The cause of the fire is still being investigated, though McCausland says investigators are doubtful a definitive answer will be found due to the extensive damage, which caused the one-and-a-half story house to fall into the basement, with only the exterior bricks remaining.