Fatal infernos claim two lives
Officials probe Littleton, N.H. fires
A Littleton fire left one person dead and another in the hospital yesterday — the first fatal fire in Massachusetts of the new year — while a fatal fire in Seabrook, N.H., also claimed a life.
“We’re a small community, and it’s a small fire department,” said Littleton Assistant Town Administrator Anthony M. Ansaldi Jr. “It’s the first fatality we’ve had like this in a long time. It’s not something that happens very frequently.”
The victim, only identified as a 76-year-old woman, died after a singlefamily home on King Street caught fire overnight Sunday, according to the fire marshal’s office. Another person was taken to a hospital, but is expected to survive, the marshal’s office said.
“One person was able to escape the fire and was transported to the hospital, but the injuries are not considered serious,” said Jennifer Mieth, spokeswoman for State Fire Marshal Peter Ostroskey.
The fire is under investigation by the fire marshal and the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office.
About 40 members of the fire department were on the scene all yesterday morning and into the afternoon, said Littleton fire Capt. Joe Rock.
“We don’t have a name, but the fire is under investigation,” Rock said.
In Seabrook, N.H., one person died when a single-story home went up in flames shortly after 1 p.m., according to WMUR-TV.
Meanwhile, firefighters in Nahant battled a difficult three-alarm fire, fighting off cold temperatures and strong winds threatening to spread the blaze to nearby homes in the dense seaside neighborhood.
Crews rushed to Wilson Road shortly after 1 p.m. and found smoke rushing from the roof, and immediately struck a second alarm to bring additional resources to the scene. Police evacuated the home and nearby homes, fire Chief Michael Feinberg said.
The blaze soon spread through the top floors of the home. One crew was dedicated to running water between the two neighboring houses. No civilians or firefighters were injured.
“We had heavy fire in the upper floors so we went to a third alarm for manpower, temperatures and wind,” Feinberg said.
The Nahant fire is also under investigation by the state fire marshal’s office.