An accidental house fire in Boothbay last week brought first responders and the support of a caring community to the aid of Geoff and Lori Marston, who lost their home off Pleasant Cove Road on February 5.

The fire is believed to have started in an interior wall of the ranch-style log cabin before 8 a.m., traveled down a vent to the basement, and burned its way back up to the rafters.

By the time Geoff Marston returned home from the grocery store that morning, smoke billowed from the side of the house. His wife and two sons made it out of the house safely, but one cat and a guinea pig did not survive.

While firefighters from the region's four towns battled the blaze, the American Red Cross immediately contacted Boothbay Fire Chief Dick Spofford to provide shelter and security for the family at the Flagship Inn in Boothbay Harbor. Just hours after the incident, neighbors and friends from Boothbay Region High School Class of 1971 and other groups set up fundraisers for the Marston family.

Marston said his family has received an outpouring of support from family and friends living as far away as the west coast. He commended the charitable care of the American Red Cross, emergency workers who quickly arrived at scene of the fire and the whole community.

“The community has been unbelievable. We can't say enough about the support that people have shown us,” Geoff Marston said. “It really helps us get through each day, you know, it's only been a week, but it feels like a month.”

While things get finalized with the insurance company, Marston said he's looking to rebuild at 12 Marston Road, the property he has lived on for the past 25 years. He said while unfortunate events can happen, the fire has changed his outlook significantly.

“You don't realize how caring a small community can be until something like this happens to you,” Marston said. “It's like an extended family.” 

A fundraiser is going to be held March 2 for the Marston family.