LYNN—A young child was killed in a two-alarm fire that ripped through a large wood panel home at 7 Circuit Ave. early Tuesday morning, fire officials said.
Crime scene tape blocked off a portion of Circuit Avenue Tuesday morning as firefighters walked through the wreckage of the scorched two-story property. At around 11 a.m., two vehicles from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner arrived on the scene and stayed for approximately 15 minutes.
Officials from the State Fire Marshal’s office said that the fire left over 12 residents displaced. The child was located inside the home and pronounced dead at the scene.
“Our hearts go out to this child’s loved ones,” said Lynn Fire Chief Stephen Archer. “On behalf of the Lynn Fire Department and the City of Lynn, I want to express our deepest condolences to the family. This is a terrible loss for them and the community.”
Officials said they would not release the child’s name and age are not being released until the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner completes full family notifications and a formal identification process.
“This morning’s fire remains under investigation, but we want to emphasize how important it is for every household to have working smoke alarms and a practiced home escape plan,” said State Fire Marshal Peter Ostroskey. “Please take a minute today to be sure you have smoke alarms on every level of your home and test them to be sure they’re working properly.”
Archer said that first responders were fast on the scene, arriving within two minutes after the fire was reported around 4 a.m.
“Our first company … encountered a very heavy body of fire from the front of this building, working its way in,” Archer said in a press conference at the scene Tuesday morning.
Archer added that most residents were able to evacuate in a timely manner. He said that the single-family house was home to two “closely connected families that called this building home.”
District Fire Chief Joseph Zukas said that seven residents, three adults in their 30s, and four boys, ages three, five, six, and 12, were transported to Salem Hospital for injuries believed to be non-life threatening.
Mayor Jared Nicholson said that while the fire is still being investigated by state and local police and firefighters, it was a tragic situation for the community, and for those displaced.
“This is a heartbreaking tragedy for the family affected and for our community,” Nicholson said. “We extend our deepest condolences to the family as they deal with this unthinkable loss, and we wish all those affected a speedy and full recovery.”
Item Creative Director Spenser Hasak contributed to this report. Anthony Cammalleri can be reached at [email protected].
