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A 60-year-old woman was killed in a house fire in Haverhill, Massachusetts, on Wednesday (March 16). Heavy flames engulfed the triple-decker house as firefighters rushed inside to battle the blaze.
"As soon as they came, they just started bustin', bustin' windows out, and they went right in," neighbor Ann Brady told WBZ.
"It was just mass confusion. Never seen that many fire trucks or ambulances or police on the street before," neighbor Daniel Crowley told the news station.
Officials said that 60-year-old Holly Quinn died in the fire.
"The victim was located in the rear of the apartment, and crews were able to remove her from the building. She was transferred to Trinity ambulance and unfortunately passed away from her injuries," Deputy Fire Chief Christopher Link said.
Ten others who lived in the home managed to escape to safety. One person had to be hospitalized for smoke inhalation.
Investigators determined that the fire was accidental but could have been prevented. They said that Quinn was smoking while using a home oxygen machine.
"The most likely cause of the fire was smoking while home oxygen was in use, which fire officials said can make materials ignite more easily and make fires burn at a faster rate than they would otherwise," the State Fire Marshal's office said.
One of the people living in the house told WCBV that the Red Cross found them temporary lodging but was worried about finding a new place to live.
"There's not really much information being given to us as tenants, and the landlord is not responding to us as tenants," Nairoby Sanchez told WCBV. "So even if we wanted to have ease of mind there's none as of right now for people like myself who want to know, 'Where am I going to live for the next month?'"