Man Found Dead After Newton Fire, Elderly Woman Rescued
NEWTON (CBS) -- A man died but his elderly mother was rescued from an early morning fire at a cluttered home in Newton early Saturday morning.
Firefighters were called to the house on Oxford Road around 4 a.m. and found heavy flames and hoarding conditions inside.
"I looked out the window and the whole back of their house was on fire," neighbor Marcia Lassman told WBZ-TV. "The whole house was in flames."
Firefighters were able to get a 92-year-old woman out of the house and rush her to the hospital. There's no word on her condition, but she is expected to survive. Her 63-year-old son was later found dead in the basement.
"They made their way through the front door up to the second floor and was able to get the elderly woman out a window and rescued over a ladder. They attempted to get into the basement, the conditions were extreme in the basement," said Newton Fire Chief Bruce Proia. "Firefighters made a valiant effort. They were able to effect a rescue of his mother off the upper floor but unfortunately due to the fire conditions was not able to rescue him out of the basement."
"They did everything they could to try to save both residents." Newton Mayor Ruthanne Fuller told reporters. "Our hearts go out the family and loved ones."
No names have been released. There's no word yet on a cause. One firefighter needed treatment for a shoulder injury.
"This same crew worked a fire on Monday on the eighth floor of a 17-story building, they were back here again, they did everything they could," Fuller said.
