FITCHBURG, MASS. (WHDH) - The man who was found next to explosive devices after a massive fire at a Fitchburg apartment building was facing eviction, court documents show.
The Worcester County District Attorney’s Office identified Raymond L. Jerome, a longtime resident of the building, as the one fatality in the blaze, which tore through the Beekman Street building for several hours Sunday and left residents homeless.
Jerome was found dead underneath a pile of rubble on the third floor with two improvised explosives nearby, and investigators are trying to determine if the fire was set.
Jerome was one of the original condo owners in the building, but according to court filings, the building’s condo association took a $4,000 lien against Jerome in 2015 for nonpayment of expenses and the city of Fitchburg filed a taking of the property for unpaid taxes in 2018.
The DA’s office is investigating whether Jerome made any threats against the building. A couple who lost everything in the blaze said they felt sympathy for Jerome’s problems but were upset to think he may have been involved in the fire.
“I feel really bad for him spiritually,” said Priyanka Simlai. “If he’s having issues in life he should know how to deal with it, not take other peoples’ lives as well.”
“I understand the situation but there are better ways to solve this,” said Chetan Mukhopadhyay.
(Copyright (c) 2025 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)