Body Found in Fort Fairfield House Fire

Fire officials say a body has been located at the site of a three-story house fire where, it was reported yesterday, a woman was reported missing.

The State Fire Marshal's Office located the body, while using an excavator in the basement of the Fort Fairfield house. Public Safety spokesman Steve McCausland says it took about eight hours of digging through the rubble before the body was located at about 8:30 Monday night.

Investigators believe the victim is the 90-year-old homeowner, Dawn Findlen, but the State Medical Examiner's Office will need to confirm the identity. Findlen and her late husband, Bill, lived in the family farmhouse for decades, but Mrs. Findlen has lived alone in the residence since her husband died, a year ago. Officials say the home once housed farm workers, but has been a single-family house since the 1950's.

Fire officials say the cause of the fire will be undetermined because of the extent of the damage. The house was engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived shortly after 4 a.m. Monday. The fire was discovered by a neighbor, who called 911.