DA identifies brothers killed in Fitchburg house fire

FITCHBURG, Mass. — The Worcester County District Attorney has identified the two brothers killed in a house fire in Fitchburg early Sunday morning.

Officials say 61-year-old Gregory Wilson and 50-year-old Franklin Wilson III died Sunday morning after a fire started in a first-floor bedroom of their Highland Avenue home. Fire officials say they found an extension cord and a power strip plugged into the outlet with a space heater, cellphone, lamp, television, and computer monitor and processor plugged in.

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“This is a terribly sad way for Fitchburg to start off the New Year and our hearts go out to the Wilson family,” said Fire Chief Kevin Roy. “I would ask anyone else in the city using a space heater to make sure it is plugged directly into the wall outlet, not an extension cord or power strip. Remember that space heaters need space and should be three feet from anything that can catch fire, and turn them off before going sleep or leaving the house.”

State Fire Marshal Peter Ostroskey says no working smoke alarms were found in the house, adding “Smoke alarms are your first line of defense in a fire. They can give you time to use your home escape plan.”

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