Man killed in multi-family Lawrence house fire
The flames left seven homeless and one father dead.
Flames tore through a multi-family home in Lawrence on Thursday, leaving behind one fatality, Lawrence fire officials said.Authorities have not released the name of the man who died, but said he was staying in the house with one of his children, and was in his 70s.
The fire ignited in an apartment at the corner of East Pleasant Street and Saxonia Avenue in Lawrence.
WCVB reported on scene that firefighters contained the blaze to just the first floor of the home where they found the victim.
Breaking: #Lawrence Police confirm an elderly man died inside the first floor apartment of this house tonight during a house fire. Investigators are on scene. The family of the victim was just notified. #wcvb pic.twitter.com/69ZOhnzrMp
— Peter Eliopoulos (@petereliopoulos) January 23, 2020
“I try not to get emotional about it, because it’s my job, but it is extremely tough for the family,” Lawrence Fire Chief Brian Moriarty told the station. “I sympathize with them.”
7 News Boston also reported that a cat was found dead in the debris.
Moriarty said besides the one fatality, the fire left seven people homeless.
While the cause of the fire was not immediately clear, he said it was not suspicious, either.
“Investigators couldn’t determine what started it,” Moriarty said. “It could have possibly been cigarettes, it could have been an electric blanket.”
But ultimately, he said, detectives have deemed the cause as undetermined.
The State Fire Marshall’s Office is investigating an apartment fire on East Pleasant Street and Saxonia Ave in Lawrence. There are detectives here on scene. We’ve asked several times if anyone was hurt or inside but haven’t gotten any answers yet. #wcvb pic.twitter.com/8JQryU1xK4
— Peter Eliopoulos (@petereliopoulos) January 23, 2020
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