By Ryan Mancini
masslive.com
ORANGE, Mass. — A woman died from her injuries after a three-alarm house fire broke out at her home in Orange on Wednesday, State Fire Marshal Jon Davine’s office announced Thursday.
At around 11:50 p.m., the Orange Fire Department received a report of a structure fire at 99 West River St., with people inside the home, Davine’s office said in a statement. A fire truck and an ambulance were dispatched, with all off-duty personnel called to assist.
While first responders were heading over to the home, the Orange Police Department arrived first and confirmed one person was trapped inside the home. Officers tried to enter “but encountered heavy fire and smoke,” Davine’s office said.
Mutual aid was requested and a second alarm was struck. Orange Fire Chief James Young ordered a third alarm to bring more resources as a result of the fire, cold weather and extended operations.
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When firefighters arrived, they spoke with an injured person outside who told them where the trapped person was inside the building. They used a fire hose on this room and carried out a search while dealing with heavy flames.
They found the person, a woman, who was injured and not responsive, Davine’s office said. Firefighters pulled her from the home. She and the other injured person were brought to Athol Memorial Hospital before they were sent to hospitals in Boston .
The injured woman died early on Thursday.
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Two other people and several dogs escaped the blaze, but several dogs also died in the fire. The house, which was heated by wood stoves, is a total loss, and all four residents have been displaced, officials said.
While the fire is not believed to be suspicious, it remains under investigation by the Orange Fire and Police departments , along with the Massachusetts State Police fire investigators and the Northwestern District Attorney’s office.
The woman’s name was not released.
Davine said in a prior release that home heating equipment is the second-most common cause of home fires in Massachusetts . He advised those using a fireplace or wood stove to heat their homes to keep stove doors closed and use a fireplace screen to keep embers from escaping. He also said curtains, bedding and other highly flammable items should be kept at least three feet away from stoves and fireplaces.
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