NEW BEDFORD, Mass. — The cause of Wednesday’s fire that claimed the life of a 56-year-old city woman was the improper use or disposal of smoking materials, officials said.
The fire at 282 Tinkham St. started on a mattress in a second-floor bedroom where Agnes Leite was found, said Jennifer Mieth, spokeswoman for the state Fire Marshal’s office.
Leite was known to roll her own cigarettes, which are not required to be fire resistant as commercially produced cigarettes are, Mieth said. All cigarettes sold in Massachusetts must be “Fire Standard Compliant” and resist ignition when not being actively smoked.
After police removed six occupants from the multi-family home in the city’s near North End, firefighters forced open the woman’s bedroom door and found her lying unresponsive on the floor, Fire Chief Michael Gomes said. The chief believes she may have collapsed in front of the bedroom door.
The woman, who did not have a pulse, was carried out of the burning building and New Bedford paramedics performed cardi-pulmonary resuscitation on her. Paramedics also performed advanced life support measures to revive her, but those also failed.
Paramedics administered a cyanide antidote to the victim and were able to resuscitate her, but she died later at the hospital, Mieth said. Cyanide is one of the toxic, deadly gases produced when household furnishings burn.
“I want to extend my heartfelt condolences to the friends and family of Ms. Leite,” Chief Gomes said.
The announcement of the fire’s cause was made by State Fire Marshal Peter J. Ostroskey, New Bedford Police Chief Joseph C. Cordeiro and Gomes. The fire was jointly investigated by members of the New Bedford Fire and Police Departments and State Police assigned to the Office of the State Fire Marshal.
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NEW BEDFORD, Mass. (WPRI) — A woman died Thursday morning after she’d been rushed to the hospital the day before from a house fire on Tinkham Street in New Bedford.
The fire broke out on the second story of the triple-decker just before 2 a.m. Wednesday. Firefighters found 56-year-old Agnes Leite unconscious in a bedroom on the second floor. Leite was later determined to have second-degree burns on 20 percent of her body.
“By the time I tried to go in her room, her whole room was just like just filled with smoke and fire fighters were trying to get us out of the house,” Leite’s son, Adam told Eyewitness News.
Agnes Leite was rushed to St. Luke’s Hospital, where authorities said she was given a new drug intravenously that’s designed to treat smoke inhalation.
“It was the first time we used it here in the city, which they call a cyanide antidote,” New Bedford Fire Chief Michael Gomes said.
Agnes Leite regained a pulse and was taken to Rhode Island Hospital in Providence to be treated there, but died the next morning.
“She’s just a good woman, she loved everybody. Didn’t judge anybody, really good heart, worked hard,” Adam Leite said. “Too many things I wish I could tell her. I just want to be able to see her again, never mind talk to her.”
Eight residents were displaced from the building and the American Red Cross was called in to assist them with housing. Gomes said the apartment did not have working smoke detectors.
At last check, the fire’s cause was still under investigation.
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NEW BEDFORD, MA (WHDH) - A New Bedford police officer is being hailed a hero after he rescued six people from a burning apartment building. However, among the saving was tragedy.
The fire broke out on Tinkham Street Wednesday.
Smoke filled a woman’s whole room as cops and firefighters worked to get all the residents out of the building.
Firefighters discovered a woman unconscious on the second flood and rushed her to the hospital.
On the way, first responders tried a new drug to treat her smoke inhalation.
“The first time we used it here in the city, they called it a syano antidote,” said Fire Chief Michael Gomes.
In spite of their efforts, the woman later died at a Rhode Island hospital.
Her family is devastated.
“Too many things I wish I can tell her. I just want to be able to see her again and never mind talk to her,” said Adam Leite, the victim’s son.
Fire officials said the apartment did not have working smoke detectors.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
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NEW BEDFORD, Mass. — Agnes (Ferro) Leite, 56, of New Bedford, passed away Wednesday January 17, 2018 at Rhode Island Hospital. She was the wife of Luis A. Leite and daughter of the late Manuel and Deolinda (Arruda) Ferro.
She was born in Lombo da Batal, St. Michael, Azores and had lived in New Bedford for many years. Mrs. Leite was formerly employed as a stitcher in the garment industry.
Survivors include her husband; her sons, Nathan Leite, Craig Leite and Adam Leite all of New Bedford; her brother, Antonio Ferro of Natick; her sisters, Maria Emilia Ferro of Nashua NH, Maria Fatima Tavares of Fall River, Maria Carmo Campos of New Bedford and Maria Manuela Pacheco of New Bedford; her granddaughter, Madison Leite.
She was the sister of the late Ernesto Ferro.
She is also survived by many nieces and nephews.
Her visitation will be Tuesday morning from 9:00 until 12:00pm when her funeral service will be held at the Boulevard Funeral Home, 223 Ashley Blvd. Burial will immediately follow at Pine Grove Cemetery. For directions and guest book please visit www.boulevardfh.com.