Investigation under way in death of man burned in fire

Lincoln man reportedly suffered burns in fire at YMCA, died three days later

LINCOLN – An April 17 fire in a storage shed at the MacColl YMCA at 32 Breakneck Hill Road is being listed as the cause of burns suffered by a MacColl employee, Kyle Andrews, 51, of Cecile Street, who died last Thursday.

The state Department of Health is still investigating the exact cause of Andrews’ death and officials on Monday were saying little about how the victim was injured in the fire.

A neighbor of the MacColl facility is reported to have called in the fire just before 3:45 a.m. on April 17, and firefighters responding found the wood-framed structure completed involved in flames upon their arrival.

Police are reported to have learned that Andrews had been hurt in the fire three days later when they responded to a call to his Cecile Street home.

Robert Cioffi, the branch executive at MacColl for the Pawtucket YMCA, said employees at MacColl had only learned about Andrews’ death on Monday from a family member and that he could not say anything about the matter given employee confidentiality requirements.

“We are just finding out

about it,” Cioffi said while adding he couldn’t comment on Andrews’role at the YMCA. “No, unfortunately, I can’t,” he said.

As for the fire, Cioffi said MacColl had been informed by police earlier that the incident was still being investigated by local police and the state Fire Marshals Office.

The shed was located behind MacColl’s red barn building and offices on Breakneck Hill Road and had two garage bays for the storage of lawn tractors and other facility maintenance equipment.

Members of the Lime Rock Fire Department responded to a call of fire at the property at 3:44 a.m. on April 17 and found the shed fully involved in fire upon their arrival, according to fire officials.

Local fire departments were reported to have knocked down the flames and only the wood frame walls of the structure were left standing, with the roof burned off and windows blown out by the flames and heat.

Lincoln Police found Andrews suffering from burns while responding to a call to his home on Wednesday. He was reported to have been in need of medical treatment and was transported to hospital given the serious nature of his injuries. Andrews was reported to have died of his injuries before providing police with a statement on how he was hurt.

Local police and state fire investigators were reported have begun a probe into the cause of the fire at MacColl not long after the flames had been extinguished on April 17. That investigation remained ongoing on Monday.