MIDDLEBORO, Mass. — An investigation is underway into a deadly fire in Middleboro.
[ One dead, three injured including firefighter after fire in Middleborough ]
“It was billowing, billowing and black, black soot smoke, flames, I just didn’t know where to begin because my concern was who lives there,” said Anita Benner, who lives in the condo building next door.
The fire broke out just before 10 AM Sunday at a condo complex on Ashley Lane.
Benner says she took some of her neighbors in after they escaped the flames.
“One had no shoes, I mean the others they didn’t have coats, they heard a big explosion, ran to the door grabbed a coat, animals and whatever and ran, one of the animals was in the woods, I couldn’t get her, but we did, it was just an awful experience,” said Benner.
The Middleboro fire chief says one person died in this fire, and two others were rushed to the hospital with serious injuries.
A firefighter was also injured, as several departments responded to this.
“There was quite a bit of smoke and flame, I was surprised something got going that big,” said Fred Lomas, who lives nearby.
The fire chief says the two neighboring units were also impacted by this fire, even though the building has fire walls between condos.
“Unfortunately, the fire walls, they don’t last forever, and the amount and bulk of the fire and the heat of the fire did ultimately decay the fire walls on both sides of the building and it was able to travel - it was also able to travel along the rooflines,” said Chief Owen Thompson.
The roof now gone and everything inside that unit is charred to pieces.
Neighbors say police have responded to this condo in the past.
“At the time we didn’t know it was a fire, we thought it was a raid on one of the units over there and 10 minutes later we saw the fire department show up and we could see flames coming out of the windows in the front and the back,” said Paul Travers, who lives nearby.
Now many feel for the family who lost a loved one, along with the other families who have been displaced from this entire building.
“They know, I’ve told them, if I can do anything, I’m here,” said Benner.
The victim who died in this fire has not been identified yet, and the cause is still under investigation.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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