Another woman found dead at a Massachusetts homeless encampment fire

SOMERVILLE — One person is deceased after a fire that broke out Thursday in a wooded area near Alewife Brook Parkway, said Somerville Fire Chief Charles Breen, Somerville Police Chief Shumeane Benford, State Fire Marshal Jon Davine, and Middlesex County District Attorney Marian T. Ryan.

The Somerville Fire Department responded to a wooded area near Alewife Brook Parkway and Broadway just after 4:00 Thursday afternoon to find heavy fire engulfing a small encampment. Firefighters stretched a hose line from an engine to attack the fire and discovered an unresponsive woman who was declared dead at the scene.

“This was a very sad event, and our thoughts are with the victim right now,” said Chief Breen.

Piled wood and debris in the area contributed to a heavy fuel load. Firefighters knocked down the bulk of the fire in about 10 minutes but remained on scene for about three hours to extinguish smoldering hot spots and assist the investigation. They had to cut through a chain link fence to allow unimpeded access to the site.

The scene was examined by the Somerville Fire Department, Somerville Police, and State Police assigned to the State Fire Marshal’s office, Middlesex District Attorney’s office, and Troop A. They identified multiple potential ignition sources, all of which appear accidental, but the investigation remains open. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will conduct a formal identification procedure and determine the cause and manner of the woman’s death.

Firefighters and investigators were supported by the Somerville Auxiliary Fire Department’s Squad 1 and Department of Conservation & Recreation staff.

State Fire Marshal 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.