Top stories this week in New Bedford: prison standoff, deadly fire

Table Of Content

• Lynchburg house fire sends one person to hospital
• Fire breaks out in large Victorian home in Newton, Massachusetts
• Firefighters reunite with mother, baby they helped deliver in New Bedford
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• Driver who escaped RI, Mass. state troopers caught in Newton, police say
• d Person Found Dead After New Bedford Rooming House Fire

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. Some 80 firefighters from local communities rushed to assist, officials said. “I brought some clothes for the people who will probably come back to see if there are any personal belongings left, they’re probably not, and then I’ll direct them to some of the resources in the city,” MacDonald said. The fire in a rooming house on Acushnet Avenue was reported just after 3 p.m.

Lynchburg house fire sends one person to hospital

Fire in New Bedford home displaces 3 - WLNE-TV (ABC6)

Fire in New Bedford home displaces 3.

Posted: Mon, 04 Sep 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]

When emergency crews arrived, multiple people were hanging out of windows needing to be rescued, New Bedford Fire Chief Scott Kruger said. One of the people who died has been identified as Manuel Moreira, a 59-year-old who lived on the fourth floor, the Bristol County District Attorney's Office said Wednesday. A deadly fire at a New Bedford rooming house Tuesday started accidentally, likely caused by a microwave or wall outlet, fire officials said Friday. 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.

Fire breaks out in large Victorian home in Newton, Massachusetts

One person was later transferred to Mass General in critical condition. Two other adults and two children were able to escape the burning home. Massachusetts fire officials said the two adults were transported to an area hospital to receive medical care, while the children were unharmed. The two victims were then transported to an area hospital, where Lopez Mendrez was pronounced dead. The State Fire Marshal's Office said Friday that Gonzalez Mangual had died of her injuries, which had left her in critical condition.

Firefighters reunite with mother, baby they helped deliver in New Bedford

The building was a 31-unit rooming house, with each unit locking individually and each floor sharing a common bathroom, according to residents. Fire investigators said the fire started in Room 205, located at the left rear of the second floor. Investigators were able to rule out all potential causes except an event involving a microwave in that location or the wall outlet it was plugged into.

Electrical fires are the second-leading cause of death for residential fires in Massachusetts, according to the state fire marshal. One person who lived on the third floor said that there were no sprinklers in the building at the time of the fire. A family member of one resident said that the hatch to the fire escape ladder was locked, forcing some to jump from the second-story wooden balcony. “Firefighters immediately began conducting rescues over ground ladders and five people were transported from the scene for medical care,” the statement said.

New Bedford Mill 'Explosion' and Fire Set Off By Heat Gun - wbsm.com

New Bedford Mill 'Explosion' and Fire Set Off By Heat Gun.

Posted: Thu, 01 Feb 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]

UPDATE: Nine people transported with nausea and vomiting from Warwick plaza

The recovery came as investigators used heavy equipment throughout the day to delayer and examine the building on Acushnet Avenue. 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. "I know at least five are in the hospital right now with various types of injuries," he said.

“When I got here, there was flames coming out of the second floor going up to the third and the balcony, facing west, the second floor was totally engulfed," MacDonald said. Witnesses described a horrific scene, including seeing someone who was severely burned jump out of a second-story window. The State Fire Marshal's Office said investigators determined that the fire began in a second-floor bedroom.

Fire crews reported seeing heavy smoke and flames and occupants hanging from the windows and jumping from the building to escape the danger inside. More than an hour later, as Sky5 flew over the four-story building, firefighters were dousing the building with water from all sides. The water was pouring out from doors on the ground floor but flames and heavy smoke continued.

Two other adults were able to escape the building and were also transported for serious injuries. Both victims were transported to a hospital, where the man was pronounced dead while the woman is in critical condition. NEW BEDFORD, Mass. — A fire tore through a New Bedford home Thursday afternoon killing one person and leaving three people in critical condition, fire officials 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 building was previously owned by Dennis Arsenault, who owns at least one other rooming house in New Bedford. In May 2022, Arsenault resigned as sole trustee of the real estate firm, registered as “Royal Crown Realty Trust,” and made Kenneth Hoffman the trustee.

The Red Cross and Salvation Army Disaster Team were seen Tuesday night helping out residents, the station reported. The fire quickly grew to five alarms, drawing some 80 firefighters from local communities to the scene, officials 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.

One of the victims was identified as 59-year-old Manual Moreira, who lived on the fourth floor. Hoffman, who residents said owns multiple rooming houses in New Bedford, could not be reached for comment on Tuesday. Residents said that the building was under “mostly cosmetic” renovation, but that no work was being done on the property Tuesday.

No updates were provided on the condition of the hospitalized residents. Of the two victims, one has been identified by the Bristol County District Attorney’s Office as 59-year-old Manuel Moreira, who lived on the fourth floor of the building. The other victim, who was found during excavation efforts on Wednesday, remains unidentified, the Massachusetts Department of Fire Services said in a press release. Two people have died after a deadly fire tore through a four-story rooming house in New Bedford Tuesday afternoon. Their body was found after investigators used heavy equipment to sort through debris and remove parts of the building, which partially collapsed. 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.

This has led bicycle shops such as Scorpion Bike Wheels, a boutique-type bike shop, to offer custom bike frames and components to customers who need their bikes to fit their bodies for ultimate usage. "I help people with physical limitations for the bicycle,” said Tony Branco, 65, whose local business offers custom-designed frames and bike fitting services at 105 State Road. When firefighters arrived, they said they found the back of the two-story home on fire.

Investigators were able to rule out all potential causes except an accidental event involving a microwave in a second-floor apartment or the wall outlet it was plugged into, according to a press release. The microwave had been in use a short time before the fire broke out. The Salvation Army will be meeting with other local emergency management partners and survivors to determine additional needs this week. MacFarlane said they work with families all the time that have been displaced whether they need clothing, food or other assistance or even just somebody to listen for emotional spiritual care. Due to their familiarity with the facility and the team in New Bedford, and knowing some of the people there, they were also able to offer emotional and spiritual care. There was also a prayer circle, and a lot of people welcomed that support.

In April of 2021, two people died and more than 40 were displaced when a late night fire sparked in an alley between two buildings and set both on fire. The charred remains of that fire are less than one block away from the scene of Tuesday’s rooming house fire. From Sky 5, large flames and heavy smoke were seen coming from the upper floors of the white home, and fire crews used hoses from multiple ladder trucks to extinguish the flames. Two people were killed and five others hospitalized when fire broke out at the building on Acushnet Avenue. The State Fire Marshal's Office said investigators determined the fire started in a room on the second floor. They believe the fire was caused either by a microwave that was in use before the fire started, or the wall outlet it was plugged into at the time.