COLUMBIA, Maine — Fire destroyed a home in rural Columbia on Saturday, the cause of which remains under investigation.
Columbia Fire Chief Lewis Church said his department and firefighters from Cherryfield and Jonesboro responded at 4:30 a.m. and were on the scene for more than 10 hours.
Church said it appears the fire was started by a light bulb being used as a heat source for a colony of stray cats. The State Fire Marshal’s Office has been asked to investigate, he said.
The home’s owner, Donna Tomkiewick, was not home at the time of the fire, Church said.
Tragic.
I hope they were able to save the stray cats lives.
We live next door, and sadly they think that some of them did not make it. It had started early in the morning because we called it in, and stayed there the whole time. It is so tragic.
I love animals, but who cares about them at the moment. A woman lost her home. And by the way BANGOR DAILY it was not 4:30 am. it was 5:30. I got called to be there too. Not to mention it was the house AND the garage. Poor woman. Thoughts to her as she has to deal with this.
listen before you critize this person she has taken care of stray dogs and cats for her whole life out of her pocket , she had a veternary practice for 30 yrs and funneled every drop of money into taken care of stray animals and helping the elderly take care of animals who couldnt afford it .
i know her very well and has helped me on many occasions with my dogs .
shes a very good soul
Sad that somebody thinks they’re taking care of an animal by sticking it next to a light bulb during a cold night. That provides about the same amount of heat as doing nothing, but I guess if it makes them feel better….
the fact they(BDN) wrote nothing but speculation ….how did they know they the cats didnt just knock a lamp over ? ……. you dont know her ….so dont judge what you dont know …..
she kept that property so some pit bulls she rescued could finish out thier lives , i know this because i installed her kennel system…..she had recently got married and held on to this property so these animals had shelter …..im sure it wasnt very cold in the house prolly only in the 45o range….
she ran a moble vet service for the elderly and disabled folks who couldnt get around well with pets…..and didnt get rich doin it , she was very generous to folks. she used to come out and care for my late grandmothers dogs …and never charged her much, just the nessacery expences .
so dont turn this tragedy into finger pointing , which is the norm on these forums .
Many of these cats are throw aways. Peole who instead of taking them to a shelter, will drop them on the road side. I know as my daughter is one who takes care of a colony of cats. Many cats are not fix, and continue to have litter after litter of kittens. She has caught them and had them taken care of.
She feeds them and protects them from other dangers. Its stupid people who are at fault for this problem, not the animals.
I would like to say to this woman, GOD BLESS YOU, U hae a true heart of gold. I hope people treat her with the same respect.
Donna – I’m very sorry for your loss. You do much good work and know that you are appreciated. Let me know if I can help. Best – N.
Sad all the way around this story. A lady lost her house and some animals lost their home. It sounds like some lost their lives. I am truly sorry for all the losses.
It seems as though this thoughtful woman has been a boon to her community for many years. Perhaps it is time for the community to pay back.
It is sad to hear about good people losing their home, especially like this.
Domestic Cats in Maine kill 1000’s of migrating song birds every day. If you let your cat outside, please put a small bell on their collar. It will still be able to hunt rodents, but will not be able to catch song birds.
Crazy cat lady.
Typical response for an ignorant lowbrow.
I noticed there are a few errors in this story. The fire started at 5:30 a.m. and there were firefighters and apparatus from Columbia, Harrington, Addison, Columbia Falls, Cherryfield and Jonesboro’s fire departments. Also, Pleasant River Ambulance was on scene. This fire destroyed Donna’s house and her garage. She was not home at the time of the fire because she currently resides in Addison. To my knowledge, no animals were hurt. The most important thing is that nobody got hurt or died in this fire. Donna – I am very sorry for your loss!!