Sunday, April 28, 2024

Death trap: New Bedford rooming house where fire killed two had multiple code violations

rooming house fire new bedford ma

"Given the unique challenges facing the affected individuals, I have directed our team to consider the use of federal funds to further extend the transitional housing support already being provided," Mayor Jon Mitchell said in a statement provided on April 14. NEW BEDFORD — Residential fires are a regular occurrence, but not every one results in as many as 27 residents — possibly more by some accounts — being put out of a home with nowhere to go, and unable to afford other living arrangements. I tried making it down the stairs and I couldn’t … the fire was coming up too quickly,” he told a reporter. In the past, city officials have described the nature of the licensing process as a prompt to require the scheduling of inspections, often after issuance. But from there, if landlords don't comply within an allotted timeframe, Mitchell said "then it may come to the possibility of pulling a license."

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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. Five people were transported to the hospital Tuesday for injuries and smoke inhalation. Kruger also told the station that over two dozen people are now displaced and were put into motels for the night.

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It takes a lot of people to try to account for everyone," said Kruger early Wednesday morning of the challenges related to the building being a rooming house. Earlier, officials had said that a man was dead, another person was unaccounted for and several other people hurt in the massive blaze on Tuesday. But as workers dug through the wreckage with heavy equipment, they found the body of a person, the Office of the State Fire Marshal.

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Fire Inspectors verified that these existing systems were in good working order, according to the mayor's office. Kruger said the displaced tenants are being assisted by the American Red Cross and Seven Hills Behavioral Health. The roof of the building collapsed, making it more difficult to stop the flames. To support The Salvation Army’s ongoing New Bedford fire response efforts, 100% of donations made at /eds with a note in comment section saying “New Bedford Fire” will go toward helping survivors. An official fund has been created to help the residents who lost so much. The owners of the property had filed to evict at least five tenants between February and March, according to court records.

rooming house fire new bedford ma

"People needed help with licenses and state IDs, birth certificates; Walgreens was there helping people with prescriptions they lost; there was a guy there who was in the Army and was trying to get his DD214," said Hall. "You just think about everything that sits in your lock box or a drawer that you don’t think about daily. All that stuff is gone." Matos tells 12 News she was at work when the fire tore through the building, killing two tenants and injuring at least five others. More than two dozen tenants were displaced, including Matos and her fiancĂ©.

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Rent for each one-room unit was listed at $170 per week at the time of the fire. Former tenants able to escape the building, who asked not to be identified, said they lived there for the cheap rent and never thought about the building’s fire safety conditions. “We don’t take these things lightly,” New Bedford Fire Chief Scott Kruger said in an interview Wednesday. The mayor and Chief Kruger met on Wednesday to discuss efforts to bring rooming houses into compliance with fire code and prevent future fires, according to the mayor’s chief of staff. All residents of the four-story rooming house were displaced by the fire. On Friday, Quinn's office identified the second victim as Wayne Bourdon, 63.

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“Seeing if I could see anybody like friends around here, I don’t know where they are and some friends that I know I haven’t seen them. “I had to jump off like towards the second (floor) on the balcony and on the back of it … and I jumped over the railing, and I got on a ladder and jumped the rest to get away from the smoke and all that,” he said. According to Connie Correia, the social services manager for the Salvation Army in New Bedford, they served an estimated 27 people. "It's best after a situation like this being able to have someone to support you because losing everything you own or a friend you might have lost in the fire is just very important after a fire like this," he said. They are supported by New Bedford Inspectional Services, the State Police Crime Scene Services Section, and the Department of Fire Services Code Compliance & Enforcement Unit.

Massive fire consumes New Bedford lodging house - WCVB Boston

Massive fire consumes New Bedford lodging house.

Posted: Wed, 29 Mar 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]

Officials release cause of deadly New Bedford rooming house fire. Here's where it started

Two people have died after a deadly fire tore through a four-story rooming house in New Bedford Tuesday afternoon. 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. Manuel Moreira, 59, lived on the fourth floor and was found Tuesday night, while another person was found Wednesday afternoon. Thick, black smoke shrouded the neighborhood as flames quickly engulfed the building.

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“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. Receive the latest news and breaking updates, straight from our newsroom to your inbox. Witnesses described a horrific scene, including seeing someone who was severely burned jump out of a second-story window.

There was also a prayer circle, and a lot of people welcomed that support. Tuesday night, the Salvation Army was officially requested by Emergency Management to provide snacks, meals and hydration to the survivors of the five-alarm blaze. They are also working with the city and housing department and a team of non-government organization to help find housing on a permanent basis. Jeff Hall, a spokesperson for the Red Cross of Massachusetts, said the organization was ready to assist the residents who were hospitalized.

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 city and the fire department have yet to release information on whether the building had recently been inspected or if it was up to date on all fire codes. Massachusetts State Fire marshals, New Bedford police and the District Attorney’s office are all assisting the fire department in the ongoing investigation. The building was declared structurally unsound and is set to be demolished. The fire department used an excavator to begin tearing it down, starting with the top floor facing east and working downward. The facade of the building was brick while the interior frame was wood.

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