2 Perish, 2 Hurt, Including Firefighter In Acushnet Blaze On X-Mas Morning: Authorities

ACUSHNET, MA — A blaze killed two people, hurt another, and displaced all the other residents at a multi-family home in Acushnet early Christmas morning, the Massachusetts Department of Fire Services said.

Just before 2 a.m., firefighters and police responded to the Garfield Street home and saw heavy smoke and flames, then learned that three people were unaccounted for, according to the agency.

One resident escaped to safety after a neighbor who saw the fire pounded on his door, and another resident was later determined to be out of the country, the agency said.

Firefighters immediately began attacking the fire, which had caused a partial collapse of the roof and major structural damage to the two-and-a-half story home, and when they made entry, they found two residents dead, according to the agency.

It took about an hour to bring the blaze under control, the agency said.

One firefighter was taken for evaluation to a local hospital but is expected to recover, according to the agency.

The people who died are preliminarily believed to be a man and woman, both in their 80s, but the office of the Chief Medical Examiner will conduct a formal identification procedure and determine the cause and manner of their deaths, the agency said.

Acushnet Fire Chief Thomas Farland extended his department's "heartfelt condolences" to the victims' loved ones.

“This is a heartbreaking day for them and our community," he added.

The origin and cause of the fire are under investigation by the fire department, as well as Acushnet police, state police fire investigators assigned to the fire marshal’s office, and state police assigned to the Bristol County District Attorney’s office, authorities said.

They will be helped by the Department of Fire Services’ Code Compliance and Enforcement Unit.

The Fairhaven Fire Department provided mutual aid, along with Mattapoisett Emergency Medical Services, and Providence Canteen supported personnel at the scene.

Witnesses and first responders reported that they did not hear smoke alarms sounding when they arrived, according to authorities.

Farland announced the findings in a joint news release Wednesday with Acushnet Police Chief Thomas Carreau, State Fire Marshal Jon Davine, and Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III.

Davine said their "hearts go out to the family at a time of such terrible loss."

“We’ve seen too many tragedies this year," he said. "Please, if you do one thing today, talk to the people you care about and be sure they have working smoke alarms on every level of their homes.”