- Department of Fire Services
Media Contact
Jake Wark, Public Information Officer
WESTFIELD — A fire in a Franklin Street apartment building last night claimed one person’s life, said Westfield Fire Chief Patrick Egloff, Westfield Police Chief Jerome Pitoniak, State Fire Marshal Jon Davine, and Hampden County District Attorney Anthony Gulluni.
“On behalf of the Westfield Fire Department, I want to express our condolences to the victim’s family and loved ones,” Chief Egloff said.
Just after 10:30 last night, the Westfield Fire Department and Westfield Police Department responded to a central station alarm and 9-1-1 calls at 36 Franklin Street. The first arriving engine company observed fire showing from a first-floor apartment with witnesses reporting one person trapped inside.
Firefighters immediately began attacking the fire at the front of the building while additional personnel made entry at the rear of the building in an attempt to locate the occupant. After battling heavy smoke and flames, firefighters later located the resident, a woman with limited mobility, deceased.
The woman’s name is not being released at this time. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will conduct a formal identification procedure and determine the cause and manner of her death.
The fire went to two alarms, drawing all unassigned Westfield firefighters to the scene. It extended to the second floor of the four-story brick structure, while upper floors sustained smoke damage. All residents of the nine-unit building have been displaced.
The origin and cause of the fire are being investigated by the Westfield Fire Department, Westfield Police Department, State Police fire investigators assigned to the State Fire Marshal’s office, and State Police detectives assigned to the Hampden District Attorney’s office. They are assisted by the Department of Fire Services' Code Compliance & Enforcement Unit.
The 104th Fighter Wing Fire Department from Barnes Air National Guard Base provided mutual aid at the scene while the fire departments of Holyoke and West Springfield provided station coverage.
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