WINTHROP, MASS. (WHDH) - A woman gave birth just hours after a fire tore through her home and a second home in Winthrop Sunday, leaving four families without a place to live.
Winthrop Fire responded to calls reporting a fire at a home on River Road at approximately 4:30 p.m. Crews said it quickly spread from one home to another, forcing four families to evacuate. Multiple fire crews from other towns were called in to help fight the fire, which officials said required thousands of gallons of water to bring under control.
Fire officials said two people, including Chiara Keenan, who was in labor, were taken to the hospital. Chiara and her husband Sean Keenan said their baby girl Giannina Grace Keenan was born at Winchester Hospital Monday morning, and both she and Chiara are doing well.
Chiara’s father Maurizio Marcoccio lives on the second floor of the house, above his daughter and her husband.
“It’s hard because it’s my first grandchild, their first kid,” he said. “And obviously coming back here was the goal, you know.”
For the families who grew up in the homes, the damage is deeply personal.
“My little brother grew up in this house, I basically did, so many memories,” said Lavinia Fiau, who lived in one of the homes. “My room was the main place that got burned. We’re safe so that’s the important part.”
Investigators said the fire may have started with an electric vehicle parked between the two homes. Both homes were deemed a total loss.
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