A woman is dead after a fire broke out Thursday in a wooded area in Somerville, Massachusetts, according to officials, who say this appears accidental in the early stages of their investigation.
According to the State Fire Marshal's office, the Somerville Fire Department responded just after 4 p.m. to the woods near Alewife Brook Parkway and Broadway and found heavy fire engulfing a small encampment.
Firefighters stretched a hose line from an engine to attack the flames and discovered an unresponsive woman, who was declared dead at the scene. Her name has not been released.
“This was a very sad event and our thoughts are with the victim right now,” Somerville Fire Chief Charles Breen said in a statement.
Firefighters had to cut through a chain link fence to allow unimpeded access to the site, officials said. Crews were able to knock down the bulk of the fire in about 10 minutes but they remained on scene for about three hours to extinguish smoldering hot spots and assist with the investigation.
Piled wood and debris in the area contributed to a heavy fuel load, fire officials added.
Somerville police and firefighters, as well as state police, the state fire marshal's office, and the Middlesex County District Attorney's office, examined the scene and identified multiple potential ignition sources. All appear accidental at this time, officials said, but the investigation remains open at this time.
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The chief medical examiner's office will formally identify the woman who died and determine the cause and manner of her death.
State Fire Marshal Jon Davine said a similar fire in Millbury claimed a woman’s life in October, when an open flame in or near a tent spread to combustible materials and surrounding brush.
