NEWTON, MASS. (WHDH) - A man pulled from a two-alarm house fire in Newton earlier this week has succumbed to his injuries, officials announced Saturday.
Fire crews responding to a reported structure fire on 16 Lincoln Road around 8:30 p.m. Wednesday found heavy smoke and fire showing and struck a second alarm on arrival. They learned of two people trapped inside and immediately made entry to conduct a primary search. Firefighters quickly located two adults and rescued them from the building.
Both suffered serious injuries. One, a man in his 80s, died at Massachusetts General Hospital on Friday, according to a statement issued by Newton Mayor Ruthanne Fuller, Newton Fire Chief Gregory J. Gentile, Newton Police Chief John F. Carmichael Jr, State Fire Marshal Jon M. Davine, and Middlesex County District Attorney Marian T. Ryan.
“This is a terrible loss for the family and a sad day for the community,” said Mayor Fuller and Chief Gentile.
Chief Gentile continued, “The exact cause of the fire is still under investigation, but we believe it may have been heating related. If you use a space heater at home, please remember to keep anything that can burn at least three feet away. Plug it directly into a wall outlet, not an extension cord or power strip, and always turn it off when you leave the room or go to sleep.”
The origin and cause of the fire are being investigated by the Newton Fire Department, Newton Police Department, and State Police assigned to the offices of the State Fire Marshal and Middlesex District Attorney.
They have determined that the fire began in the basement, and while the exact cause has not been determined it does not appear suspicious.
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