FEBRUARY 15, 2015
WALTHAM, MASSACHUSETTS
Two people died in a house fire early Monday on Ash Street.
Eric Miller, 49, was found dead in the 67 Ash St. home and
Elizabeth Miller, 75, was pronounced dead after being taken to the hospital,
according to the Middlesex District Attorney's Office. Firefighters had found
Elizabeth Miller on the second floor, police said.
The fire broke out at about 2 a.m. in the single-family
home. Authorities were told there were two residents inside, police said.
"This tragic loss of life remains under
investigation," Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan said. "While
any number of issues could have led to this fire, incidents like this serve as
a reminder to all of us to make sure smoke detectors are in working order and
to do our part to shovel out fire hydrants to help first responders get water
on a scene as quickly as possible."
The two people who died were a mother and her son, according
to Wicked Local news partner WCVB.
One Waltham firefighter was injured in the fire, police
said.
The snow and cold posed a challenge for firefighters, but
hydrants in the area were dug out, according to WCVB.
"It makes everything 10 times harder - the snow, the
ice, the house - the location of the house was set back, wires," Fire
Chief Paul Ciccone said. "Accessibility was not good. Fortunately, we've
been keeping on top of the hydrants."
The fire is under investigation by the Waltham Fire
Department, the State Fire Marshal’s Office, Massachusetts State Police Fire
Investigation Services assigned to the Fire Marshal’s Office, the Massachusetts
State Police CPAC Detective Unit from the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office,
and the Waltham Police Detective Unit.
"Sadly, these are the seventh and eighth fire deaths of
2015," State Fire Marshal Stephen Coan said. "We urge people to use
caution during this difficult weather."
It’s the second major fire on Ash Street in the last year.
An early morning fire in August displaced 20 residents from
a three-family home at 145 Ash St. Seven people were taken to the hospital and
one woman was critically injured, officials said at the time.
Later on Monday, firefighters battled a house fire at 62 School St. Ciccone said the fires to do
not appear to be related.
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Firefighters battled a four-alarm house fire on School
Street on Monday morning.
At least six people were living in the duplex at 62 School
St., said Fire Chief Paul Ciccone.
“This fire took off very quickly,” Ciccone said.
Resident Terry Marks said he was home with his wife, son and
daughter when the fire started at about 8 a.m., but all got out safely.
Marks said he was upstairs checking a frozen hot water pipe
in the bathroom when he smelled smoke coming from the basement. He went to the
basement and tried to put it out with a fire extinguisher, but saw embers
coming from it, so he had his wife call the Fire Department.
The Fire Department got there quickly but there were
problems getting the frozen hydrant to work, Marks said.
“That allowed the fire to actually take hold,” Marks said.
The snow and freezing cold temperatures were obstacles in
fighting the fire, Ciccone said, but he noted that all city hydrants had been
cleared before the latest storm.
Firefighters had issues getting up to the second floor
because items were blocking the way, Ciccone said, but he didn’t call it
hoarding.
The home's roof collapsed and firefighters were still
shooting water onto the fire from two towers about two hours after it started.
Companies from Lexington, Weston, Watertown, Belmont,
Cambridge, Wellesley, Arlington and Newton assisted Waltham.
The fire is under investigation.
Earlier on Monday, two people died in a fire at 67 Ash St. Ciccone said the
fires do not appear to be related.