Two people were killed in a fire at a multi-family home in Worcester, Massachusetts, overnight, officials said.
Worcester firefighters were called to a report of a fire on Hancock Street with people trapped in the building around 11:30 p.m. Tuesday. When they arrived, they said they found heavy fire on the first floor, with conditions quickly deteriorating.
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Fire crews made entry to the first floor and began trying to put out the fire and searching the building. During that search, two residents, both adults, were found on the first floor, rescued by firefighters and taken to a local hospital, where they later died, according to the Worcester Fire Department.
The fire killed 62-year-old Daniel Gonzales, a native of the Dominican Republic, and his wife, 59-year-old Juana Candelario, a Puerto Rico native.
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Family members shared fond memories as they mourned the couple Wednesday.
"She was an aunt, she was my godmother, she was a second mother," said Anna Rodriguez. "She was an amazing person, heaven-sent. Her and her husband. There's nobody like them."
A memorial outside the home grew after the tragedy.
"I would see these people every day, and, like, their dogs and everything, so it's very, like, shocking," said next-door neighbor Ksenia List.
"This is tragic for the city of Worcester," Assistant Fire Chief Adam Roche said.
Two firefighters were also taken to a local hospital for exhaustion, Roche said. He noted that the department's crews worked hard and valiantly to fight the blaze amid a chaotic scene, and that "the fire conditions were so advanced on arrival."
There were three apartments in the building, with five adults and five children among those displaced.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation and its cause undetermined, Roche said. The fire appeared to have originated on the first floor; the house seemed to be appropriately maintained and there didn't appear to be any link to weather conditions.
