Friday, December 26, 2014

SOUTHWICK, MASSACHUSETTS HOUSE FIRE MAY HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY OVERHEATED LIGHTS OR CHRISTMAS TREE




Southwick, Massachusetts House Fire may have been caused by overheated lights or Christmas tree



December 25th, 2014 


SOUTHWICK, Mass. (WGGB) — A mother rescued her two-year-old son from their burning home on Christmas Eve, just before it was destroyed. 


The Southwick Fire Department received a call around 11:45 p.m. on Wednesday that a home on Two States Avenue was engulfed in flames.

“The female got her baby, put the baby to bed, then the fire started at some point after that time,” explains Southwick Fire Chief Richard Anderson. “She was upstairs and the baby was in the basement.”



The mother had to go outside, break a window, and crawl through the broken glass just to get her son out.

Chief Anderson says the woman suffered from severe lacerations to her legs, but made it out safely.

The mother, her toddler, and her husband were transported to Baystate Medical Center with injuries, including minor burns and smoke inhalation.

The child was then transported to Shriner’s Hospital in Boston and remains in the burn center.

Linda Lewis — the father’s aunt — says all three are doing “okay.”

Lewis contends that she’s mortified and had no idea how bad the fire was.

“Of course we answered the phone, ‘Merry Christmas’ — just to find out it’s not a Merry Christmas for them,” recounts Lewis.

Crews from five fire departments responded to the call, including teams from Granville and Suffied, Connecticut. Ambulances from Agawam and Westfield were also called in to help. 



It took hours for the fire at the multi-family home to be knocked down by firefighters. The flames were out by 3 a.m. on Christmas.

The Red Cross has been assisting the families with necessities. But, that won’t bring back what was physically destroyed in the fire.

“Everything was lost, including all the Christmas gifts,” says Chief Anderson.

Southwick Firefighters and the State Fire Marshall’s Office was on-scene Thursday to investigate. 



“We think the Christmas tree was involved, or however it started, it made its way to the Christmas tree and once that goes…,” explains Chief Anderson.

The cause of the fire remains unknown. The fire department will resume their investigation Friday morning.

A total of seven people have been displaced. Lewis says the extended family is finding ways to make this tough time, a little easier.

“The family is all pitching in — we’re offering what we can to them.” 


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Boy out of Hospital after Christmas Eve Fire

December 26th, 2014
 SOUTHWICK, Mass. (WGGB) — Investigators say the fire that destroyed a Southwick home on Christmas Eve will be ruled as accidental, undetermined.

Meantime the little boy injured in the fire was released from Shriner’s Hospital Friday where he was treated for burns.

The Southwick Fire Department received a call around 11:45 p.m. on Wednesday that a home on Two States Avenue was engulfed in flames.

A woman who lived in the home was able to pull her 2-year old son to safety.
The mother had to go outside, break a window, and crawl through the broken glass just to get her son out.

The mother, her toddler, and her husband were transported to Baystate Medical Center with injuries, including minor burns and smoke inhalation.

Investigators have determined the fire started in the living room of the basement apartment, in the area of the Christmas tree and the couch.

Investigators were able to rule out the electrical wiring circuit that fed the Christmas tree, but they could not eliminate the lights on the tree or other possible causes inside the apartment due to the extent of the damage.