Investigators: Cause of fatal Uxbridge fire can't be determined

The Massachusetts state fire marshal's office says the cause of a fire that claimed the lives of a woman and her young daughter may never be known.

Officials said the fire started in the first-floor apartment where the woman and child lived, but said that damage to the home was so severe little evidence into the cause could be found.

"The fire damage to the old farmhouse was so extensive...fire investigators were left with little evidence to reconstruct how the fire started," said fire marshal Stephen Coan. "While they are focusing on possible accidental causes there is not enough evidence left to pinpoint the single most probable cause."

Coan said the cause of the fire would be left officially undetermined.

The bodies of the mother and daughter were found nearly 20 hours after the four-alarm fire broke out at about 11 p.m. Monday in an old farm house that had been subdivided into five units.

Workers at the Sherborn Day Spa identify the mother as Suzanne Donovan. Donovan manages the spa. It took firefighters more than 12 hours to recover the bodies of her and her daughter, 6-year-old Fina.

Suzanne and Fina moved to their Uxbridge apartment just a few months ago. Fina was expected to begin first grade this week.

Neighbors told firefighters Suzanne and Fina were seen earlier Monday, but were unaccounted for after the fire. Suzanne's vehicle was still in the driveway.

Cox Media Group