News  Chicopee Woman Dies in Smoking Fire

STOW — State Fire Marshal Peter J. Ostroskey, Hampden County District Attorney Anthony D. Gulluni, and Chicopee Fire Chief Dean F. Desmarais said a woman has died as a result of her injuries in Friday night’s fire at 25 Meadowlark Lane in the Doverbrook Estates condominium complex.

The woman was rescued and resuscitated by Chicopee firefighters and transferred first to a local hospital and then to a Boston hospital where she succumbed to her injuries. Firefighters had great difficulty in effecting the rescue due to the excessive clutter in the apartment.

The fire started at 10:21 p.m. in the living room. The investigation determined that the improper disposal of smoking materials was the cause. The fire was jointly investigated by the Chicopee Fire Department and State Police assigned to the Office of the State Fire Marshal. Assistance was received from the Code Compliance Unit of the Department of Fire Services.

There were no working smoke alarms inside the apartment, which meant there was no early warning of the danger. The 4-unit condo building did not have fire sprinklers as they were not required when the building was built. Building such a building today would include fire sprinklers.