Western Mass. woman dies in fire at house with no working smoke alarms
A Pittsfield woman was killed Saturday night in a fire at her home, which officials say had no working smoke alarms.
The woman's family has identified her as 76-year-old Noreen Reu, The Berkshire Eagle reported . She was a lifelong Pittsfield resident, a mother of two and grandmother of three.
What happened Saturday night
The Pittsfield Fire Department responded to the fire at Reu's home at 7 Virginia Ave. just after 11:20 p.m. on Jan. 31, the State Fire Marshal's Office said in a Monday press release . They discovered flames coming from the front of the house and entered the home from the back to attack the fire and search for residents.
Inside, they found Reu, the home's only resident, and carried her outside, the fire marshal's office said. She was taken to a local hospital where she later died.
Working in subzero temperatures with more than a foot of snow on the ground, firefighters managed to bring the fire under control in about half an hour, the fire marshal's office said. They stayed on scene into the morning to provide investigative support and ensure the fire was fully extinguished.
The preliminary investigation uncovered no evidence suggesting that the fire was set intentionally, the fire marshal's office said. Fire investigators believe the fire began in the living room at the front of the home.
State fire investigators and the Berkshire County District Attorney's Office are working with Pittsfield police and firefighters to investigate what caused the fire, the fire marshal's office said. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will determine Reu's manner and cause of death.
No working smoke alarms
Fire investigators did not find any working smoke alarms in Reu's home, the fire marshal's office said.
"This is the fourth fatal fire this year where our investigators found no working smoke alarms," State Fire Marshal Jon Davine said in the release. " ... Please check in with older family members, friends and neighbors to be sure they're protected."
Reu's son, Brian Reu, told The Berkshire Eagle his mother had a stroke about a decade ago. Afterwards, her ability to speak and move the right side of her body became limited.
"Despite declining mobility, Brian Reu and his wife, Erica, said [Reu] was a very independent person and was determined to support herself as much as possible in the home she knew well," the newspaper wrote.
Reu was a Pittsfield High School graduate who spent many years working in data entry at companies such as Bay State Elevator and Berkshire Bank, the Eagle reported. She was known as a local car enthusiast and was a member of the Pittsfield Piston Poppers Car Club, which organizes classic car shows.
Davine recommended that home smoke alarms be checked once a month. Those that need help installing, checking or replacing fire alarms should contact their local fire department, he said.
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