Press Release  Older Adult Badly Injured in New Bedford Fire; Cause Under Investigation

NEW BEDFORD — The cause of a fire that caused serious injuries to an older adult and minor injuries to a firefighter yesterday remains under investigation but does not appear suspicious, said New Bedford Fire Chief Scott Kruger and State Fire Marshal Peter Ostroskey.

“New Bedford firefighters were able to rescue three occupants from the building, including one who was seriously injured,” said Chief Kruger. “Investigators believe the fire began in a third-floor bedroom, and we found no working smoke alarms in that unit. I want to remind everyone in the community how important it is to have working smoke alarms on every level of every home. Please check your smoke alarms today to be sure they’re working properly.”

“While the cause of this fire is still under investigation, we know that working smoke alarms and a practiced home escape plan are crucial to surviving a fire,” said State Fire Marshal Ostroskey. “Smoke alarms alert you to the danger and an escape plan helps you and your loved ones get to safety. Be sure your smoke alarms are less than 10 years old, and be sure your escape plan accounts for any children, seniors, and people with disabilities in your household.”

The New Bedford Fire Department responded to the area of 108 Tremont St. at about 7:15 yesterday morning for a report of a fire in the building. A firefighter and New Bedford police officer rescued one adult resident from the home shortly after arrival. Additional firefighters used aerial ladders to rescue another adult from the third floor and carried a third occupant, the injured older adult, down an interior stairway. That occupant was transported to a hospital.

The New Bedford Fire Department and the State Police Fire & Explosion Investigation Unit assigned to the State Fire Marshal’s office have found no evidence that the fire was intentionally set, but they continue to investigate the cause of the fire. They Department of Fire Services’ Code Compliance & Enforcement Unit provided assistance.

Yesterday’s fire was the second time in three days in which the New Bedford Fire Department conducted ladder rescues from a residential fire. The first was in the early morning hours of Oct. 1 on Madeira Avenue, where firefighters rescued two residents. That fire is believed to have started with smoking materials, but residents were alerted by a functioning alarm system and made their way out a window to the roof, from where firefighters helped them to safety over ground ladders.

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