Two recent deadly fires in Massachusetts, one in Newton and one in Lowell, were likely caused by smoking materials, fire officials said Thursday, identifying the men who died in both incidents.
The fire on Walnut Street in Newton on Sunday left 69-year-old Scott Patz dead and one other person with minor injuries, officials said. Smoking materials were found to have started that fire, near a couch in the living room.
A 56-year-old man, Charles Bearden, died in the fire on Farmland Road in Lowell on March 16, state and local officials said in a news release. Another person was hurt in the fire but is expected to survive.
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That blaze began near a bed and was likely caused by the unsafe disposal of smoking materials.
Smoking materials that aren't safely disposed are the No. 1 cause of fatal fires, the officials said, and State Fire Marshal Jon Davine noted in a news release that everyone should have working smoke alarms in all levels of their home.
"A house fire can become deadly in less than three minutes. Smoke alarms can give you the warning you need to get out quickly, especially when you're sleeping," he said. Test them every month to be sure your family is protected, and practice an escape route so you know where to go when you hear them activate. No property is worth your life – get out and stay out when you hear the smoke alarm sounding.”
