Press Release  Fatal Fire Under Investigation in Cambridge

CAMBRIDGE — One person has died following an early morning fire in a Cambridge apartment building, said Cambridge Fire Chief Thomas F. Cahill, Cambridge Police Commissioner Christine A. Elow, State Fire Marshal Jon M. Davine, and Middlesex County District Attorney Marian T. Ryan.

About 15 occupants of the Chester Street apartment building have been displaced by the fire, which was first reported at about 4:40 this morning. The Cambridge Fire Department responded to find heavy fire showing and used an aerial ladder to rescue an occupant from a third-floor window. Other residents escaped safely after working smoke alarms alerted them to the danger. Pro EMS transported one firefighter to a local hospital for injuries that were not life-threatening.

The fire went to three alarms before it was brought under control at about 5:15 am. Firefighters were able to contain the fire to a second-floor apartment at the front left of the building. Firefighters made entry to conduct an aggressive interior attack and located the sole occupant of this apartment, an adult male, deceased inside. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will conduct a formal identification procedure and determine the cause and manner of his death.

The exact cause of the fire remains under investigation by the Cambridge Fire Department, Cambridge Police Department, and State Police assigned to the offices of the State Fire Marshal and Middlesex District Attorney. They were assisted by the Department of Fire Services’ Code Compliance & Enforcement Unit. The Somerville Fire Department provided mutual aid and the Boston Sparks Association A-10 canteen supported firefighters at the scene. The Red Cross of Massachusetts and Salvation Army Emergency Disaster Services Team are assisting displaced residents; officials believe much of the building will be habitable after cleanup.

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