A Brockton home erupted in flames just after midnight Saturday, leaving one person dead and a quiet residential block on edge as firefighters battled the blaze into the early morning hours. Crews raced to the scene and zeroed in on the second floor, where they found an unresponsive occupant who was pronounced dead at the scene. Firefighters stayed on Glendale Avenue for hours, knocking down hot spots and checking neighboring homes.
According to WCVB, the fire broke out around 12:30 a.m. at 80 Glendale Ave. Investigators said the victim was discovered as crews tried to get control of flames that had taken over the upper floor, and the cause of the fire remains under investigation.
State teams can back up local investigators
By law, local fire departments are responsible for figuring out where and how a fire started, but they do not have to do it alone. According to Mass.gov, the State Police Fire & Explosion Investigation Section offers regional fire investigators, accelerant-detection K9s and other technical tools that can be brought in to help with complex or suspicious cases.
Brockton hit by other recent multi-alarm fires
Brockton has been dealing with a string of serious fires in recent weeks. A two-alarm blaze on March 30 displaced 11 residents, including six children, and the Red Cross stepped in to help those families, according to The Boston Globe.
Officials had not released the victim's name as of Saturday morning. The Brockton Fire Department said the cause of the Glendale Avenue blaze is still under review, per WCVB, and authorities are asking anyone with information to contact local public safety officials.
