A somber mood hangs over Yarmouth as officials reported the death of an older adult following a residential fire. The fire, which broke out at a home on 115 Route 28, was said to have started with smoking materials, according to a press release by local authorities.
The Yarmouth Fire Department received a medical alert around 9:50 p.m. Upon arrival, firefighters discovered the deceased woman, in her 60s, who lived alone in a studio residence. Investigators from the Yarmouth Fire Department, the Police, State Police fire investigators assigned to the State Fire Marshal's office, and the State Police Detective Unit assigned to the Cape & Islands District Attorney's office jointly concluded the fire was accidental. The victim's name has not been released, pending family notification, the body, has been turned over to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner to determine the exact cause of death.
“First and foremost, I want to express our heartfelt condolences to the victim’s family,” Yarmouth Fire Chief Enrique Arrascue stated. He took the tragedy as an opportunity to caution the public, reminding them that “smoking is the leading cause of fire deaths in Massachusetts and the nation.” Chief Arrascue underscored the particular vulnerability of older adults and issued safety reminders for smokers to use heavy ashtrays and ensure cigarettes are fully extinguished.
State Fire Marshal Jon M. Davine echoed the sentiment, highlighting a stark statistic: "In the past five years, about 45 Massachusetts residents have died in fires that started with smoking materials, and more than half of them were people over 65." He advised against smoking in situations where attention might be compromised, such as while in bed, drowsy, or impaired, as, "It’s just too dangerous." The fire officials' statements aim to prevent future incidents and to encourage smokers to seek help quitting through available state resources.
Massachusetts residents are urged to take advantage of the multilingual resources available for those who wish to quit smoking. Information can be found on the Commonwealth's website or by calling the 1-800-QUIT-NOW hotline.
