Webster, MA – Saturday night’s fire which claimed the life of a Webster man and displaced five others has been deemed “not suspicious” according to officials.
At approximately 10:03 PM on Saturday, July 27th, 2024, emergency crews, were dispatched to 3 South Point Rd for reports of smoke and fire coming from a multi-family structure with multiple occupants possibly still inside.
Upon arrival units found fire alarms sounding, smoke showing, and heavy fire conditions with an occupant trapped in a rear bedroom. Firefighters entered the apartment and extricated the 57-year-old man where he was subsequently transported to an area hospital. He later succumbed to his injuries at the hospital. Read our original article on the fire here.
According to a release by the Massachusetts Department of Fire Services, contributed to by Webster Fire Deputy Chief Jeffrey Saad, Webster Police Chief Michael Shaw, State Fire Marshal Jon M. Davine, and Worcester County District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr, the investigation has not revealed any evidence that the fire was intentionally set. While investigators have yet to determine an exact cause, they have determined that the fire originated in the rear bedroom, where the victim was located, and “smoking materials and home oxygen [are] potential factors.”
Webster Fire Chief Hickey explained in the release that “there is no truly safe way to smoke, but smoking where home oxygen is in use is especially dangerous.”
Quiet Corner Alerts maintains a policy of not revealing the names of victims or suspects unless they are actively being sought by law enforcement or pose a perceived threat to the public.