Candle Caused Pittsfield Fire That Severely Injured Woman
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A house fire on Hubbard Avenue on June 23 that left a woman with life-threatening injuries started with an unattended candle on a dresser.
The report was released on July 29 by Pittsfield Fire Chief Thomas Sammons, Pittsfield Police Chief Michael J. Wynn, and State Fire Marshal Peter J. Ostroskey.
Smoke alarms woke residents at the Hubbard Avenue home in the early morning hours of June 23, according to the report. They found a growing fire in a basement bedroom and unsuccessfully attempted to extinguish it before escaping, but one resident, a woman in her 40s, remained inside. Pittsfield firefighters arrived at the scene and fought the fire from inside and outside the structure. They rescued the woman, who was transported first to Berkshire Medical Center and then airlifted to Massachusetts General Hospital with smoke inhalation injuries. She is recovering.
"The flame from one candle caused a serious fire and life-threatening injuries," said Sammons. "Fortunately, firefighters were notified in time to rescue the victim. If not for working smoke alarms with fresh batteries in the home, the toll could have been much worse. Never leave a candle unattended."
The fire was jointly investigated by the Pittsfield Fire Department, the Pittsfield Police Department, and the State Police Fire & Explosion Investigation Unit assigned to the State Fire Marshal's Office. Based on evidence at the scene and interviews with the occupants, investigators determined that the fire originated with a lit candle in the basement bedroom, which ignited a wooden dresser and spread from there.
"We remind everyone to extinguish candles and incense before they leave a room or go to sleep," said State Fire Marshal Ostroskey. "Keep a one-foot circle of safety around any lit candle, with nothing flammable nearby, and use a non-combustible saucer or candleholder beneath it. Even better, consider using battery-powered flameless candles instead of an open flame."
More candle safety tips can be found here.
Tags: state fire marshal, structure fire,
