Overview

• The fire was reported Oct. 9 just after 8:30 p.m. at 396–398 Elm Street following multiple 911 calls about possible trapped occupants.
• Working smoke detectors alerted residents, and 10 of the 11 people inside were able to escape on their own.
• Firefighters encountered flames venting from the second floor and heavy smoke on the second and third floors, prompting a split between interior attack and ladder operations.
• Unable to complete a window rescue, crews reached a third-floor tenant via a back stairwell and carried her out unconscious.
• The woman, in her 70s and not publicly identified, was taken to St. Luke’s Hospital and then to Massachusetts General Hospital, where she died; the building sustained significant damage and the American Red Cross is assisting the 11 displaced tenants.