SWAMPSCOTT — A 69-year-old woman died following an early morning fire at a condominium complex on Loring Avenue Thursday, according to the Essex County District Attorney’s Office.
Swampscott firefighters responded to a reported fire at The Glen complex on Loring Avenue shortly before 7 a.m. A regional fire dispatch alert reported smoke showing from the building, and when first responders arrived on the scene they confirmed there was an active fire.
According to a statement from Essex County District Attorney Paul Tucker’s office, firefighters located the woman inside her apartment unit and transported her to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Her identity has not been released pending notification of family members.
Residents were evacuated from the building as firefighters worked to extinguish the blaze.
Vadim Katsemba, who lives in the building with his family, said he awoke to the building’s fire alarm shortly before firefighters arrived.
“I think this was about 6:40 a.m. We just heard the alarm went off, so we went outside,” Katsemba said. “And then once we got there, we saw smoke coming out of there.”
The incident remains under investigation by the Massachusetts State Police Detective Unit assigned to the district attorney’s office, the Swampscott Police Department Detective Unit, the Office of State Fire Marshal Jon Davine, the Swampscott Fire Department, and the Massachusetts Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.
The Glen had a previous fire in October 2024. In that incident, one resident was charged with arson.
No additional information was immediately available Thursday afternoon as investigators continued their work. Swampscott Police and Fire Departments were not available for comment as of press time.
