New Bedford still reeling from deadly fire

Table Of Content

• ‘Death trap’: Rooming house where fire killed two had multiple code violations
• Breaking News Alerts
• Massive rooming house fire that killed 2 in New Bedford started accidentally, State Fire Marshal says
• Bangor, ME, Firefighters Rescue Two from Fire
• Massive fire in New Bedford leaves two dead and five injured, officials say
• Who owns the Acushnet Avenue rooming house?

Crews could not go into the building Wednesday because it’s structurally unsound, so they used demolition equipment to carefully remove parts of the building, and crews sorted through the debris to locate a person who was missing. Kruger said the first firefighters to arrive rescued several people jumping from the windows of the building. The four-floor building had 31 units and approximately 25 people are displaced, according to Kruger. According to a listing for the apartment building at Rosen Property Management, single- and double-occupancy rooms are rented on a weekly, biweekly or monthly basis.

‘Death trap’: Rooming house where fire killed two had multiple code violations

By 6 p.m., fire crews had the fire under control but “continued to extinguish hot spots for hours afterward,” maintaining a presence outside the house overnight, Ostroskey’s office said. The news came shortly after the first victim, fourth-floor resident Manuel Moreira, was identified. A second deceased victim inside the charred remains of a New Bedford rooming-style house was found by investigators on Wednesday as they seek to determine what caused a Tuesday fire that destroyed the building. The fire departments of Acushnet, Dartmouth, and Fairhaven provided mutual aid at the scene. Ambulances from Freetown, Lakeville, Marion, Wareham, and Westport supported New Bedford EMS with patient transport and care. The building was a 31-unit boarding house, built in 1907, with each unit locking individually and each floor sharing a common bathroom, according to residents.

Breaking News Alerts

The body, which has yet to be identified, was found on the second floor amid the rubble as firefighters demolished the top floors of the brick building. The body was pulled out of the building’s open facade by an excavator that was also gripping a mattress, according to witnesses. Investigators said the building had a working smoke alarm system tied to the fire department, but never had sprinklers. Third-floor resident Jason Gilmore said he was alerted by smoke alarms and faced fire and smoke when he tried to escape. The fire was mostly knocked down by about 7 p.m., though firefighters remained on the scene after 9 p.m. Third-floor resident Jason Gilmore said he was alerted by smoke alarms, and faced fire and smoke when he tried to escape.

Massive rooming house fire that killed 2 in New Bedford started accidentally, State Fire Marshal says

Fatal New Bedford fire started accidentally, officials say - Boston News, Weather, Sports - Boston News, Weather, Sports WHDH 7News

Fatal New Bedford fire started accidentally, officials say - Boston News, Weather, Sports.

Posted: Fri, 31 Mar 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]

The city of New Bedford along with nonprofit partners including the Inter-Church Council of Greater New Bedford have announced Rise Up For Homes as the official relief fund for individuals displaced by Tuesday’s rooming house fire on Acushnet Avenue. Firefighters worked through the night to knock down the flames, secure the building and remained working on demolition into Wednesday night. NEW BEDFORD — Firefighters discovered a second dead body Wednesday afternoon in the charred aftermath of a fire that ripped through a four-story rooming house in New Bedford’s North End. NEW BEDFORD, Mass. (WJAR) — The body of a second victim was recovered Wednesday from the scene of a massive fire at a rooming house in New Bedford. The state sent a rehabilitation unit to support firefighters at the scene and a hazardous materials team to monitor air quality for potential harm to first responders and the community, Wark said. New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell told media at the scene two residents of the building were missing as of Tuesday night, according to WCVB.

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"At the same time of arrival of crews, we were able to rescue, I believe five tenants over ground ladders while simultaneously getting lines in place and started to attack the fire," he said. The fire was investigated by the New Bedford Fire Department, New Bedford Police Department, State Police Fire and Explosion Investigation Unit assigned to the State Fire Marshal’s office, and state police assigned to the Bristol District Attorney’s office. Collectively, they determined that the fire started in Room 205, located at the left rear of the second floor. The building was previously owned by Dennis Arsenault, who owns at least one other rooming house in New Bedford.

Second victim dies of injuries from South Coast house fire - WCVB Boston

Second victim dies of injuries from South Coast house fire.

Posted: Sat, 22 Apr 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]

"If we open a shelter for residents, they don’t get the assistance so it’s a trade-off," Hall said. "A shelter won’t stay open for more than a few days, so if we give them financial assistance it at least gives them a chance to go out and start seeing what they can find." Firefighters initially started searching inside the building for tenants, but were forced out as conditions rapidly deteriorated. Kruger said firefighters rescued at least three residents, while several others were forced to jump from their windows. The rooming-house-style building contained 31 apartments and around 24 occupants were rescued. A temporary shelter was set up at Seven Hills on Acushnet Avenue for victim services.

Engulfed in flames, the building sustained catastrophic damage while firefighters succeeded in preventing the fire to extend to other homes in the area. Firefighters searched the building as conditions deteriorated, eventually finding Moreira. Demolition and excavation equipment was used to find the second victim by Wednesday afternoon, Boston.com reported.

Heavy smoke was visible and residents were jumping out, or hanging from, windows of the four-story building at 1305 Acushnet Ave., said Jake Wark, a spokesman for the state Department of Fire Services. Five people were initially taken to the hospital, and two people were listed in critical condition late Wednesday afternoon. A massive fire earlier this week that killed two people and destroyed a 30-unit apartment building in New Bedford, Massachusetts, was started accidentally, according to state fire officials. As people jumped from windows to escape the burning building, one man told NBC 10 News that he’s just grateful to be alive. Five people were initially taken to the hospital, and two people were still listed in critical condition late Wednesday afternoon.

But they say it’s a process impeded by legal barriers, pandemic-related supply chain issues and high installation costs for properties with often low-income tenants. Moving to shut down a rooming house based on fire code violations could also mean tenants lose their homes. About two dozen people were displaced and were put into motels for the night. Emergency crews worked for over eight hours to put out hot spots in the building and said they will be on the scene throughout Tuesday night. Kruger said people were hanging out of windows waiting to be rescued, while others were jumping out of windows as firefighters arrived. All New Bedford fire trucks and off-duty personnel, along with several other local fire departments, assisted in battling the fire.

Crews were initially unable to enter the structurally unsound building Wednesday morning, but found the second victim in the afternoon using demolition and excavation equipment. More than two dozen people were put up in motels Tuesday night, New Bedford Fire Chief Scott Kruger told reporters at the scene, according to WJAR-TV. The injured residents were taken to St. Luke’s Hospital in New Bedford. As of Wednesday, one was listed in serious condition and another was transferred to Rhode Island Hospital in critical condition, officials said. According to the New Bedford Fire Department, a passerby flagged down a police officer shortly after 4 a.m. A massive fire tore through a three-story building that was under renovation in New Bedford, Massachusetts, overnight, causing the structure to collapse, fire officials said.

It was not clear how long the building had been under renovation or if it was close to being completed. To donate to the victims of the March 28 fire, visit riseupforhomes.com/donate, or mail/drop off a check, written out to "fire victims, to the Inter Church Council of Greater New Bedford, 128 Union St., New Bedford, MA, 02740. For New Bedford attorney and lifelong resident Philip Beauregard, news of the March 28 fire struck a special kind of chord that echoed of childhood memories and family legacy, his parents, R. Albert and Adrienne Beauregard, having owned and managed the building from May 1963 to April 1986.