86-year-old dies in lawn mower blaze
Gas accident also engulfs home
An 86-year-old East Bridgewater man was killed when he caught fire while gassing up his mower, in a blaze that also set his house on fire, authorities and a family member said.
Bernadino Pellegrino succumbed to injuries he suffered in the blaze yesterday morning on Beaver Village Way, authorities said.
“He was loved by everyone,” said his son, David J. Pellegrino, who lives in Virginia, “He was an unbelievable guy. Everyone loved him. Just an outstanding, outstanding father.”
He said his father had several careers, working construction and cutting hair.
“My dad owned his own barber shop and he baby-sat me while my mom and everyone was at work,” he said.
Years later, the two worked together at Raytheon, where his father eventually retired.
“He was like my best friend. We drove to work together. We ate lunch together,” he said. “We used to go out and hang out with each other. You couldn’t find better parents. They gave everything to their kids. They’re both saints.”
Plymouth District Attorney Timothy Cruz’s office said the fire happened about 9:30 a.m. When East Bridgewater fire crews arrived they found the two-story home engulfed by flames. Several feet away from the home, first responders found Pellegrino.
“Preliminary investigative efforts indicate the fire started when a tractor lawn mower ignited and the flames spread to the victim’s clothing,” Cruz said. “The lawn mower was located near a deck attached to the home, which then caught fire.”
State Fire Marshal Peter J. Ostroskey’s office is investigating the cause of the fire.
David Pellegrino said he was told his father was putting gas into the mower when it caught fire. He said his father survived a bout with leukemia years ago, and had just come out of the hospital last week.
“I talked to him a couple days ago,” he said. “He was just starting to feel good. This is just so upsetting.”