Two People Die In Chelmsford Condo Fire
CHELMSFORD (CBS) - Two people were killed in a two-alarm fire at the Woodcrest Condominium Complex Saturday night.
The complex on Littleton Road caught fire around 11 p.m.
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Kim Tunnicliffe reports
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The two people were unaccounted for after the fire. The State Fire Marshal confirmed their deaths Sunday morning.
"This is a sad day to start the year off. It really is,"Chelmsford Fire Chief Michael Curran said. "There were a couple people that were hunkered down as low as they could go [on balconies] and I kept telling them, 'wait for the ladder, wait for the ladder.'"
The victims are believed to have been an older couple living on the third floor. One of the victims was in a wheelchair, State Fire Marshal Stephen Coan said.
"There is nothing at this time that leads us to believe this is a suspicious fire. We are focusing on several accidental scenarios," Coan said.
"It is very clear that if not for their [Chelmsford Firefighters] efforts we would be standing in front of a building that had many more occupants perished in a fire."
A 7-year-old boy was transported via medical helicopter to a Boston hospital with severe burns. Three other people were taken to area hospitals.
Police have not released the names of the victims.
Dolores Dobbins, was rescued from her third floor balcony during the blaze.
"You have to put everything into perspective. I'm alive. Nothing else matters. All the memorabilia from 45 years is gone but you have the memories," Dobbins said. "[I] heard the alarm, opened up the door and it was so smoky [I] started coughing immediately. I said we can't even go out the door."
Dobbins' sister saw the rescue.
"The flames just kept shooting up, shooting up. They would subside and then they would come back," Marie Hastings said.
Authorities say they believe the fire to be accidental.
Saturday's fire brings the death toll to four after three fatal fires over the weekend. The first fatal fire was in Winchendon Friday. A fire in Holyoke left a teen dead Saturday afternoon.
