OXFORD — An overnight fire in an Oxford that injured four occupants and one police officer does not appear suspicious, but the exact cause has not been determined, said Oxford Fire Chief Laurent McDonald and State Fire Marshal Peter J. Ostroskey. Working smoke alarms in the home likely prevented an even greater tragedy, they agreed.

Oxford firefighters were notified shortly before 1:00 this morning of a fire at 45 Leicester St. On arrival, they found the structure fully involved and called for additional companies. The fire progressed to three alarms and drew mutual aid from more than a dozen area fire departments. Two adults and two juveniles escaped from the building after hearing working smoke alarms. All four occupants, as well as an Oxford Police sergeant who was first on scene and helped one occupant away from the building, were transported to area hospitals with injuries of varying severity. One person remains in critical condition.

“The extent of the damage has made it difficult to identify an exact cause, but we know for certain that working smoke alarms in the home alerted people inside to the danger,” said Chief McDonald. “Everyone should have working smoke alarms at home. It’s important to test them monthly, replace alkaline batteries twice a year, and replace the unit 10 years after the manufacturing date printed on the back.”

“When purchasing a new smoke alarm, choose one that has a sealed, 10-year battery and a hush feature,” said State Fire Marshal Ostroskey. “This reduces the likelihood that the alarm will be disabled by removing the batteries. Select an alarm with a label showing that it’s listed by a nationally recognized testing laboratory such as UL or Intertek/ETL.”

The two-story, single-family home is considered a total loss. Investigators determined that the fire began in the living room at the front left corner of the first floor and extended upward to the second floor. The exact cause remains under investigation by the Oxford Fire Department, Oxford Police Department, District 7 fire investigators, and the State Police Fire & Explosion Investigation Unit assigned to the State Fire Marshal’s office.

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