FAYETTE — Robert Danforth credits his escape from his burning mobile home to his landlord, Alfred Judd.

The fire, reported March 10 at 3:55 a.m., killed Danforth’s cat, but both he and fellow tenant Joanna Ladd, as well as a visitor, escaped without injuries.

“My landlord was luckily at his camp, and he came in and threw me out because I was in there trying to save my cat,” Danforth said. “My cat didn’t survive; but I did, thanks to him.”

Danforth and Ladd, who had lived in the older mobile home at 129 Chesterville Ridge Road for five years, lost all their possessions to the fire.

“The landlord took me down to a friend of his and got us put up there, so I didn’t have to stay here and watch it burn,” Danforth said.

Now they’re living in a recreational vehicle that their landlord moved to the property.

The Ladies Auxiliary of the Fayette Fire Department bought them clothes and had a portable toilet put on the site, and it will host a benefit supper for the pair from 4:30-6 p.m. Saturday at Fayette Central School.

Admission to the supper is $6 for adults and $3 for children. Those 5 and under are free.

Elaine Wilcox, auxiliary president, said the group spent $300 immediately to buy the basics.

“People have been really good about donating stuff and about bringing food,” she said. “When you lose everything, you have nothing.”

She said anyone who wishes to donate can call her at 685-3886. The money from the supper will help furnish the new home, Wilcox said.

“Anything would be much appreciated,” Judd said.

Danforth, Ladd, Judd, some of Judd’s friends in carpenter’s union local 1996 and others pitched in to clean up the site and prepare it for a replacement mobile home. Judd said he has looked at a couple possibilities, but he said he had no insurance on the structure.

Danforth and Ladd were adamant they want to stay on the property.

“It’s a very nice lot, and the landlord is like family,” Danforth said. “He’s kind of like a hero.”

Assistant Chief John Churchill, of the Fayette Fire Department, said the cause was ruled as unknown. It could have been electrical, he said.

Firefighters responded from Fayette, Mount Vernon, Readfield, Wayne, Vienna and Manchester, as did Winthrop Ambulance.

Churchill said firefighters were on site for about four hours.

“The response was very quick, and we had a good turnout,” Churchill said Monday. “It was obvious when we got that there the building was fully involved and there was nothing we could do to save it.” He said they focused on saving a camper, which was eight feet away, and a canvas-covered vehicle shelter,

Judd, who lives in Jay, said Danforth told him he had been up and smelled smoke and saw fire on a card table where Ladd does puzzles. Judd said Danforth put out the fire, but later found flames coming from the ceiling and an outlet.

Betty Adams — 621-5631

badams@centralmaine.com

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