The Associated Press
BRATTLEBORO, Vt. — Vermont fire officials say heat from a crematorium’s vent pipe ignited a fire that damaged a funeral home and gutted an upstairs apartment where newlyweds were living.
Brattleboro Fire Chief Michael Bucossi says the vent pipe at the Ker-Westerlund & Fleming Funeral Home rises into the ceiling and through a storage area. He says the chimney didn’t have enough airspace.
Bucossi says the vent pipe had dried the surrounding wood over the years. He says the heat ignited the wood Friday while the crematorium was running.
Bucossi says he has heard complaints from neighbors for 10 years about black smoke and odors emanating from the crematorium.
The funeral home and the crematorium suffered minor to moderate smoke and water damage.
Bucossi says the newly married couple lost everything.