Man found dead after Westbrook motel fire extinguished

WESTBROOK, CT (WFSB) - A man was found dead after firefighters put out a fire in Westbrook.

Flames broke out at the Cabins Motel, a cabin rental community on Boston Post Road, Thursday morning.

Fire officials provided an update around 9 a.m.

They reported that the fire was in one of the buildings on the property.

Route 1 was closed at Old Kelsey Road because of it, according to the state Department of Transportation.

“It’s really a sad thing,” said Ray Swain of Westbrook. “I think it’s the worst death anyone can suffer.”

Swain called the scene heartbreaking and terrifying.

“The feeling of the heat, it was radiating from the house and it was so extreme that I had to get out of my front door and run off to the righthand side to get away from everything,” he said. “The first thing I see, I’m like ‘oh my God! He’s still in there,’ and I thought ‘is there any way I can get in?’ The flames were too high and too dense so I couldn’t get close enough to do anything.”

The cabins were described as a mix of small and large apartment units that are rented out long term.

The fire started at one of the smaller cabins around 4 a.m. on Thursday.

“There was heavy volume of fire coming out of the front of the building, the front door and front windows, and out the side windows,” said John Flaherty, Westbrook fire marshal.

Investigators said as of Thursday morning, they did not suspect foul play.

“After the fire was knocked down, and they were doing the overhaul, they discovered there was an occupant inside who was deceased,” Flaherty said.

They believed the man had been living in the cabin for several years.

His identity has not been released.

The cause of the fire has yet to be determined.

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