MA Crews Face Hoarding Scene in Fatal 3-Alarm Blaze

A woman died early Thursday in a three-alarm fire at her Southbridge home that officials described as a hoarding scene, news outlets reported.

The fatal fire was reported Thursday morning at 217 Dennison Lane, the Worcester District Attorney’s Office confirmed.

The blaze remains under investigation by the prosecutor’s office, Southbridge police and fire officials as well as the State Fire Marshal’s Office.

The victim of the fatal fire lived alone at the home, the Worcester Telegram & Gazette reported. Authorities have yet to publicly identify her.

A passing bus driver reported the blaze around 7 a.m., Southbridge Fire Chief Paul Normandin told the Telegram & Gazette.

Firefighters arrived at the address about 4 minutes after the call came in and put out the blaze in roughly 30 minutes, according to the newspaper.

The fire was contained to one room, where the victim was found. She was discovered eight to 10 minutes after first responders arrived, and firefighters had to walk over debris to get to her, the Telegram & Gazette reported.

The chief described the house as a hoarding scene, according to the newspaper.

“Everywhere you go in there, it’s probably about a one-foot path to walk through," Normandin told the news outlet. "The room she’s isolated in, where the fire originated, had 3 feet of debris up from the floor.”

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