Press Release  Fatal Fire in Pelham Under Investigation

PELHAM — One person is deceased following an early-morning fire in a Pelham home, said Pelham Fire Chief Dennis Nazzaro, Pelham Police Chief Gary Thomann, State Fire Marshal Jon M. Davine, and Northwestern District Attorney David E. Sullivan.

“The Pelham Fire Department and our community want to express our condolences to the family that lost a loved one today,” said Chief Nazzaro. “This is a terrible loss for them.”

The Pelham Fire Department responded to 109 North Valley Road following a 9-1-1 call from a passerby just after 2:30 this morning. Firefighters found the two-family home engulfed in flames on arrival, with fire venting through the roof and windows, and immediately began suppression operations. Mutual aid from Amherst, Belchertown, Granby, Hadley, Shutesbury, and Ware joined in those efforts.

Firefighters learned that the two-story structure was occupied by one person, a man in his 30s, who was unaccounted for. Tragically, he was later found deceased within the home. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will conduct a formal identification procedure and determine the cause and manner of his death.

The fire caused catastrophic damage to the building, including partial collapses of the roof and walls. Firefighters were able to knock down the bulk of the fire in about an hour. The first personnel on scene reported that they did not hear smoke alarms sounding.

The origin and cause of the fire are being investigated by the Pelham Fire Department, Pelham Police Department, State Police fire investigators assigned to the State Fire Marshal’s office, and State Police assigned to the Northwestern District Attorney’s office. They were assisted at the scene by the Department of Fire Services’ Code Compliance & Enforcement Unit and the Western Massachusetts Technical Rescue Team.

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