Smoking The Cause Of Condo Fire In Rutland: Fire Officials

RUTLAND, MA—A fire that happened in the second floor of a condo in Rutland this week that seriously injured a man was caused by smoking, according to officials.

State Fire Marshal Peter J. Ostroskey and Rutland Fire Chief Seth Knipe said the cause of the Jan. 12 fire at 176 Maple St. in Rutland was smoking. The fire occurred inside a second floor condominium at the Countryside Estates. A man, the sole resident of the condo unit, jumped from his balcony and was seriously injured and taken to a Worcester hospital for treatment.

The fire started in the living room at the couch which was surrounded by combustible materials, said the announcement from officials. The man smoked little cigars, which are not required to be “Fire Standard Compliant” as cigarettes sold in Massachusetts are, so they are not designed to resist ignition when not being actively smoked.

Members of the Rutland Fire and Police Departments, and State Police assigned to the Office of the State Fire Marshal jointly investigated the fire.

The 24-unit building was built prior to the establishment of the State Building Code in 1975 and was not required to have fire sprinklers. State Fire Marshal Ostroskey said in a statement, “This incident underscores how important sprinklers are at containing a fire to a single room or apartment.” Such a building would be required to have fire sprinklers if it were built today.

The building did have a working fire alarm system with emergency door closures in the hallways, which helped many residents escape safely, said the release. The Rutland Fire Department rescued eight residents over ladders from their second and third floor balconies. An estimated 50 people are displaced by this fire. Chief Knipe said in a statement, “Smoke and fire alarms give you early warning of danger, but it is important to respond immediately because time is your enemy in a fire. Use your home escape plan to get out quickly as you may have as little as three minutes to escape.”

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