Smoking Cause of Natick Fatal Fire
State Fire Marshal Peter J. Ostroskey, Middlesex District Attorney Marian T. Ryan, Natick Fire Chief Richard A. White, and Natick Police Chief James G. Hicks announced the cause of the February 20, 2016 fatal fire at 211 East Central Street, was the improper disposal of smoking materials. The fire took the life of Carol McCarthy, 73, who lived in the one-family home.
McCarthy was rescued by the Natick Fire Department through the second floor bedroom, which is where the fire started, and taken to Leonard Morse Hospital. Two smoke alarms were found in the home, one without any battery at all, and one with a dead battery. One carbon monoxide alarm was found without any battery.
State Fire Marshal Ostroskey said, “So far in 2016 we have lost 13 people to fire, and 9, or 70%, were in homes without working smoke alarms. There’s nothing most of us wouldn’t do to protect the ones we love, so take a minute tonight to test your smoke and CO alarms, and if you cannot remember the last time you changed the batteries, do so this weekend.”
“Our thoughts are with the victim’s family at this time. Tragedies such as this are a reminder to all of us to review our safety precautions for our own households,” said District Attorney Ryan. “Smoke detectors can serve as an early warning system for residents and are critical to preventing fatal fires.”
Chief White said, “Our hearts go out to the family. Fire is a terrible way to lose one of our seniors, which is why the Natick Fire Department has a Senior SAFE program. The program will install smoke and carbon monoxide alarms for seniors who don’t have any. Please contact us directly or through the senior center.” To contact the Senior SAFE program call, (508) 647-9555.
The fire was jointly investigated by the Natick Fire and Police Departments, and by State Police assigned to both the Office of the State Fire Marshal and the Office of the Middlesex District Attorney. Assistance was received from code compliance officers from the Department of Fire Services’ Division of Fire Safety.
Fire Standard Compliant (FSC) Cigarettes
As part of the Fire Standard Cigarette (FSC) Program, cigarettes were purchased from a local store that came from the same lot as those found in McCarthy’s home. They will be sent to an independent testing laboratory to ensure they pass the required ignition strength test. All cigarettes sold in the state are required to be low-ignition strength, or fire standard compliant (commonly referred to as “fire-safe”). These cigarettes, made with special paper that self-extinguishes after a short period of time, have been proven to be less likely to ignite clothing, bedding, or other material left unattended. Before this law took effect in 2008, smoking was the number one cause of fatal fires in Massachusetts. “While fire deaths from smoking have been greatly reduced, they have not been totally eliminated,” said Ostroskey, “We want to learn more about why.”