A man burned down his parents’ home, killing their three pets after he lit wooden matches to exterminate ants in the basement, Maine's state fire marshal said. 
 
 Devon Doucette tried to get rid of the ants by incinerating them, but instead ignited combustible materials, which sparked a fire that spread quickly in the Old Orchard Beach home, authorities said. 
 
 The family’s two cats and one dog died in the fire, officials said, adding that no charges are expected against Doucette. 
 
 The 21-year-old was treated for smoke inhalation and burns after he carried burning items outside from the home, officials said. 
 
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 The man's parents, who own the home, were not home when the blaze broke out. 
 
 A GoFundMe page set up for the family to help pay for their expenses has raised more than $11,400 of its $10,000 goal as of Tuesday afternoon. 
 
 “This family is just now starting on their long road on trying to get their life back,” the page reads. “So many of us are hurting for them as no one deserves to lose everything.” 
 
 With News Wire Services ||||| OLD ORCHARD BEACH, Maine (NEWS CENTER) — A man attempting to kill pesky ants in his basement ended up losing his mom and dad’s home and the family’s pets. 
 
 Devon Doucette, 21, was trying to get rid of the ants in his parent’s Old Orchard Beach home by incinerating them with wooden matches, according to the State Fire Marshal. One of those matches ignited some combustible materials and the fire spread to the rest of the home. Doucette’s parents, Maurice and Barbara were not home at the time. The family’s two cats and a dog perished in Saturday’s fire. 
 
 Doucette, who ran out of the house with some of the burning items, was treated for burns to his hands and smoke inhalation. 
 
 The family’s one-story home on Harmon Street was destroyed. 
 
 Copyright 2017 WCSH ||||| on behalf of Barbara Doucette OLD ORCHARD BEACH, ME Erica Hebert Albair 
 
 Sadly, the wonderful Doucette family had a house fire yesterday and lost everything, including their loving pets. Devin was taken to the hospital with 2nd degree burns and is out now recovering. Thankfully no one else was in the house so no other injuries. This family is just now starting on their long road on trying to get their life back. Barbara and Moe are avid members of the Old Orchard Beach commumity and are ALWAYS helping in any way they can. So many of us are hurting for them as no one deserves to lose everything. I am doing this so we can get them some clothes, food, place to stay, etc. Anything you can do would be more than greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance for your generosity!!! ||||| OLD ORCHARD BEACH — The fire that destroyed the Doucette home was still smoldering when word began to spread around town that the family needed help. 
 
 The Doucettes, known in town as enthusiastic and frequent volunteers, lost all of their belongings Saturday evening when their house on Harmon Avenue burned. 
 
 The home of the Doucette family, at 19 Harmon Ave. in Old Orchard Beach, caught fire Saturday. The community has rallied around the family, providing donations of clothes, beds, food and numerous gift cards. Staff photo by Gregory Rec Related Headlines Man injured in Old Orchard Beach house fire 
 
 Within hours, the superintendent sent emails and made phone calls to every family in the school district, friends put out a list of needed items and residents began dropping off clothes, toiletries and gift cards. 
 
 Donations poured into a GoFundMe page set up for the family and surpassed the $10,000 goal within 24 hours. 
 
 “The family is so grateful for this generosity. They’re overwhelmed with how much people have stepped up,” said Rose Bowdoin, a friend of the Doucettes who is helping coordinate donations and has been in contact with the family. “They’re in shock and awe about everything that is happening.” 
 
 The fire at 19 Harmon Ave. started in the basement about 5 p.m. Saturday. 
 
 The State Fire Marshal’s Office said Monday that the fire was caused when Devin Doucette, 21, tried to use wooden matches to exterminate ants in the basement. Fire officials say one of the matches ignited nearby combustibles and fire quickly spread to the rest of the house. 
 
 Doucette, who was the only person home at the time, was treated for smoke inhalation and second-degree burns to his hands and arms. 
 
 He was burned when he tried to carry burning items out of the house. The family dog and several cats were killed in the fire. 
 
 Charges are not likely to be filed against Devin Doucette, according to the fire marshal’s office. 
 
 He was treated and released from a local hospital, but was being treated again for his burns Monday, friends of the family said. 
 
 His parents, Maurice and Barbara Doucette, who own the home, were in Massachusetts when the fire broke out. Their daughter Joyce is a sophomore at Old Orchard Beach High School. Their other son, Noah, is backpacking across the country. 
 
 Shortly after the fire, John Suttie, school superintendent and principal at the high school, got a message from the school resource officer letting him know that a student’s family had been affected. School officials got in touch with a couple of parents who know the Doucettes, and within hours of the fire Suttie sent out districtwide messages asking for help for the family. 
 
 “We’re a small community. When something like this happens, it’s nice to see people step up for the family,” Suttie said Monday. 
 
 “Everyone knew within 10 minutes what had happened and how to help. It goes to show you the power of community and the power of technology and social media.” 
 
 The Doucettes declined through friends to speak with a reporter Monday, saying they were overwhelmed but grateful for the outpouring of support from their community. 
 
 The family has lived in Old Orchard Beach for 16 years and attends St. Margaret’s Church, where Moe Doucette volunteers with the summer camp. He also picks up food donations each week for the local food pantry. Barbara Doucette was a longtime Girl Scout leader in town. 
 
 “They’re always the ones running the concession stand and the first to volunteer,” Suttie said. 
 
 On Monday afternoon, Bowdoin and Erica Albair, the friend who set up the GoFundMe page, loaded two large bins full of donated items into a truck and picked up an envelope stuffed with gift cards and cash that had been dropped off at the high school. 
 
 A group of volunteers – some of whom know the Doucettes well and others who don’t – were cleaning and painting a temporary apartment that a resident is allowing the family to use through May. 
 
 “I can’t explain how awesome the community is to do all this for them,” Bowdoin said. 
 
 Gillian Graham can be contacted at 791-6315 or at: 
 
 ggraham@pressherald.com 
 
 Twitter: grahamgillian 
 
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– If you have an infestation of ants in your basement, do not follow the example of David Doucette and try to kill them with fire. The 21-year-old Maine man may have succeeded in exterminating the pests, but he burned down his parents' home in the process, killing their dog and two cats, the New York Daily News reports. The state's fire marshal says Doucette, the only one home at the time, was trying to kill the ants with wooden matches when he ignited nearby combustible materials in the basement. He received second-degree burns to his hands while running out of the house with some of the burning items, WCSH reports. The marshal says Doucette is not expected to face charges. Parents Maurice and Barbara Doucette are known as enthusiastic volunteers in Old Orchard Beach and the community stepped up with an impressive response within hours of the blaze. Residents organized a temporary apartment, donated items, and started a GoFundMe fundraiser that has now collected more than $2,000 more than its $12,000 goal. "We're a small community. When something like this happens, it's nice to see people step up for the family," John Suttie, principal of the high school the Doucettes' daughter attends, tells the Portland Press Herald. "Everyone knew within 10 minutes what had happened and how to help. It goes to show you the power of community and the power of technology and social media."