Massachusetts

70-Year-Old Father, 28-Year-Old Son Die in Christmas Night Fire

Officials have identified the victims as 70-year-old Louis Orelus and 28-year-old Vladmir Orelus

What to Know

  • Two men died and a child was injured in a Christmas night fire in an Avon, Massachusetts home.
  • Officials responded to the 3-alarm blaze at about 9:30 p.m. at a home on Freeman Street.
  • The cause of the fire remains under investigation, but officials believe it was accidental.

A roaring inferno on Christmas night killed a 70-year-old man and his 28-year-old son at an Avon, Massachusetts home, according to fire officials.

Fire crews responded to the deadly 3-alarm blaze around 9:30 p.m. on Freeman Street, according to officials. At the scene, firefighters battled the flames that fully engulfed the home and encountered 70-year-old Louis Orelus in a bedroom, who was revived with CPR then rushed to an area hospital, where he died.

"There are two deceased people," Avon Fire Department Chief, Robert Spurr, said. "The one we took to the hospital and the one we found in the building."

Vladmir Orelus, 28, perished in the flames, according to fire officials. A young boy was also hospitalized with minor injuries. His current condition was not immediately available.

"I'm not sure how to move on," Abe Abdul, who worked with Vladimir Orelus for years at a dental office, said through tears. "He's inside of me, and this hurts me so much."

As of Wednesday night, Abdul had raised more than $4,400 of a $20,000 goal on a GoFundMe page for Orelus.

"I'm just here to help his family," Pastor Fritz Cesaire of the Trinity Community Church of God said.

Cesaire said the two men were longtime members of the church.

"He's a good man, a good member," he said.

The pastor said two children and a woman were also in the house during the fire. Vladmir was able to get out of the burning building with them but went back inside to get his father, according to Cesaire.

"When he came back inside, he died," the pastor said. "The door is locked."

Family friends stopped by the now-destroyed structure to see what was left of the tragic incident. Mary Voltaire, a friend of the victims, said Louis owned a grocery store in Brockton that served the Haitian community for years.

"This is the season of people celebrating and they die," Voltaire said. "So, we are very sorry about them."

The state fire marshal is continuing their investigation on the cause of the blaze. Officials say the blaze appears to be accidental.

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