91-Year-Old Woman Killed in Middleboro House Fire

MIDDLEBORO (WBSM) — A 91-year-old woman was killed in a two-alarm fire early this morning in Middleboro.

According to Fire Chief Owen Thompson, the department responded at about 2:52 a.m. to reports of a house fire at 72 Everett Street.

Firefighters Encounter Heavy Flames on Arrival

Crews arrived to find heavy fire conditions in the two-story multifamily home. Thompson said flames were showing from multiple windows on the first floor.

A second alarm was struck to bring additional resources to the scene.

Victim Could Not Escape the Blaze

Once firefighters were able to enter the home, they found the 91-year-old woman, who had not been able to escape. Thompson said she was pronounced deceased at the scene.

Her identity has not yet been released.

Other Occupants Safely Escaped

The other three occupants of the home all had escaped before firefighters arrived. There were no other injuries reported, and Thompson said crews had the fire extinguished within 30 minutes of arrival.

Investigation Into Fire’s Cause Ongoing

The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the Middleboro Fire Department, Massachusetts State Police assigned to the State Fire Marshal’s Office, and state police detectives assigned to the Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office.

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Middleboro’s Recent History of Fatal Fires

"This was a tragic situation. Unfortunately, this was the third fatal fire within two years in the Town of Middleboro," Thompson said. "However, our firefighters responded professionally. They did an excellent job attacking the fire and aggressively extinguishing the flames, especially considering the amount of fire they encountered as they first arrived. On behalf of the Middleboro Fire Department, I offer my sincerest condolences to the victim's family."