Kittery Days Inn fire victim identified by Maine authorities
KITTERY, Maine — The victim of the fire that destroyed the Days Inn hotel on Route 1 Bypass last month has been identified, nearly three weeks later.
Maine’s medical examiner identified the person who died as 57-year-old Daniel Clarke, a resident of Manassas, Virginia, state police spokesperson Shannon Moss announced Monday.
Clarke "had been working in the area but had been let go from his job and was staying at the hotel," Moss said. "I do not know how long he had been staying there."
"In an effort to identify Mr. Clarke, DNA was used which is standard procedure in many cases," Moss said. "As you can imagine, this is a process that can take some time. This case continues to be an active investigation and when there is additional information to release we will do so."
“The cause of the fire that destroyed the Days Inn in Kittery last month is still under investigation,” Moss said.
More news: Two new hotels in Kittery would bring 209 rooms. One would replace burned Days Inn.
The fire occurred on Wednesday, May 17 at the 85 Route 1 Bypass property. Authorities announced the next day remains of a deceased person had been found.
In an online obituary, Clarke, who spent the majority of his life in the Manassas area, was described as a gifted athlete in his youth who became a carpenter as an adult.
“We hope all who knew him choose to remember the kind, generous person that Danny was, always willing to lend a hand to anyone that needed it when he was able,” the obituary states. “Reminisce about the witty and outgoing Danny who was a friend to all. ... We want you to remember the Danny you loved.”
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Clarke’s funeral mass is being held in Manassas this Thursday, followed by his celebration of life, according to the obituary. Donations to the Salvation Army in his memory are requested in lieu of flowers.
Fire crews from 14 area town and city departments in Maine and New Hampshire assisted the Kittery Fire Department with the blaze, which took six hours to bring under control, officials said. Fire departments from Pease and the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard also assisted.
It was the town’s first fatal fire in three years, according to Fire Chief David O’Brien.
Town Manager Kendra Amaral previously reported more than two million gallons of water were used to extinguish the fire.
The Days Inn did not have a sprinkler system. The hotel was built in 1956, before state law required it.
This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Kittery ME Days Inn fire victim identified
