PLYMOUTH, MASS. (WHDH) - Smoking materials were to blame for a deadly fire that ripped through a residential building in Plymouth last week, officials announced on Friday.
Investigators with the Plymouth Fire Department, the Plymouth Police Department and the State police found the fire started accidentally in a first-floor bedroom, according to a joint statement shared by the state Department of Fire Services.
Plymouth Fire Chief Neil Foley said the incident was a “tragedy” both for those involved and the community.
“I’d also like to remind all our residents that smoking materials are the leading cause of fire deaths in Massachusetts and the nation,” Foley continued. “If you smoke or have guests who do, please use a heavy ashtray on a sturdy surface.”
The fire started early on the morning of Feb. 10 at a home on Post N. Rail Ave. A man identified this week as William Price, 79, was later found dead inside. A woman, who had not been publicly named as of Friday, was rescued and taken to the hospital in critical condition. Officials said she is expected to survive.
Three other people in the home at the time of the fire were able to escape on their own, with one jumping out a window to escape the smoke, according to relatives.
Two Plymouth firefighters suffered minor injuries.
Officials this week said witnesses and firefighters reported hearing smoke alarms sounding. They said these measures “may have prevented an even greater loss of life.”
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