Press Release  Ludlow House Fire Started with Smoking Materials

LUDLOW — A residential fire that injured two people in Ludlow this weekend started with smoking materials in a home where medical oxygen was in use, Ludlow Fire Chief Ryan Pease and State Fire Marshal Peter J. Ostroskey said.

“We’re extremely relieved that the victims are recovering from their injuries,” said Chief Pease. “There’s no truly safe way to smoke, and it’s especially dangerous to smoke in a home where medical oxygen is being used. Fires can start easier, burn hotter, and grow faster in an oxygen-rich environment. If you or a loved one use home oxygen, of if you’re visiting someone who does, please don’t smoke.”

“Oxygen can saturate clothing, hair, upholstery, and bedding, making them much more flammable,” said State Fire Marshal Ostroskey. “Matches, lighters, candles, stoves, or fireplaces pose serious fire hazards under these conditions. It’s important to practice fire safety when there’s medical oxygen in the home, and especially important not to smoke.”

The Ludlow Fire Department responded to Evergreen Circle shortly after 6:20 on Saturday morning for a report of a house fire. Upon arrival, firefighters observed heavy flames showing from the first floor of a two-story home. Firefighters quickly struck a second alarm and worked to extinguish the flames. Two occupants were able to escape prior to firefighters’ arrival and were transported to a local hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening.

The origin and cause of the fire were jointly investigated by the Ludlow Fire Department and State Police fire investigators assigned to the State Fire Marshal’s office. They determined that the fire began in the first-floor living room, in the area of an ashtray that was in close proximity to an oxygen machine and cylinders.

Last year, two people died as a result of fires in Massachusetts homes where medical oxygen was in use, down from three in 2021. The Department of Fire Services’ Breathe Easy: Home Oxygen Fire Safety Campaign provides resources for patients, families, medical professionals, service providers, and first responders, including brochures in Spanish and Portuguese. 

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