VIDEO: Authorities are investigating a deadly fire that broke out in an apartment building in Westfield, Massachusetts, on Thursday night, according to authorities. The Westfield police and fire departments responded to a fire alarm and multiple 911 calls reporting the fire at 36 Franklin Street just after 10:30 p.m. Firefighters arrived on scene to find fire coming from an apartment on the first floor. Witnesses on the scene reported to firefighters that there was also a person trapped inside the apartment that was on fire.
Due to the intensity of the flames, a 2nd alarm was ordered, bringing all unassigned Westfield firefighters and mutual aid to the scene. Firefighters began an initial attack on the fire from the front of the building while additional personnel made entry into the building from the rear in an attempt to locate the occupant. After battling heavy smoke and fire inside the building, firefighters eventually located the resident deceased. The resident is only being identified as a woman with limited mobility at this time. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will conduct a formal identification procedure and determine the cause and manner of death.
Mutual aid was provided at the scene by the 104th Fighter Wing Fire Department from Barnes Air National Guard Base while firefighters from Holyoke and West Springfield provided coverage for Westfield’s fire stations. The origin and cause of the fire are being investigated by the Westfield Fire Department, Westfield Police Department, State Police fire investigators assigned to the State Fire Marshalโs office, and State Police detectives assigned to the Hampden District Attorneyโs office.
