A space heater and smoking materials were found at the scene of a fire that injured four people, including a firefighter, in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, Sunday morning.
Firefighters were called to the blaze at a three-family home on Ashburnham Street around 9:30 a.m., according to a joint statement from Fitchburg Fire Chief Dante Suarez and State Fire Marshal Jon Davine. Two people were trapped inside.
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Responding firefighters rescued one person from the second floor with a ladder and found a second in a stairwell between the second and third floors. Both were taken to the hospital for treatment - one with serious injuries.
A firefighter and a third occupant were also taken to the hospital and are expected to be OK.
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Fire officials say the fire started in an enclosed rear porch, though the exact cause of the fire remains under investigation. However, a space heater and smoking materials were found in the area - two common causes of house fire.
“If you use a space heater at home, please be sure to keep anything that can burn at least three feet away on all sides,” Davine said. “Plug it directly into a wall outlet, not a power strip or extension cord, and always turn it off when you leave the room or go to sleep.”
The fire caused extensive damage and all of the residents have been displaced.
