HOLYOKE, Mass. (AP) - A New Year’s Day fire in a Massachusetts apartment building that killed three people was caused by an electrical fault.
State Fire Marshal Peter Ostroskey said Wednesday that Sunday’s blaze in the five-story, brick building in Holyoke was traced to an electrical outlet in a third-floor unit.
The victims were 34-year-old Trevor Wadleigh; 55-year-old Jorge Munoz; and 48-year-old Maria Cartagena, who jumped from an upper floor.
Eight people were hospitalized and one remained hospitalized Wednesday.
Fire Chief John Pond said the building’s fire alarm may not have been working properly because there was a “substantial delay” between the discovery of the fire and the first 911 call.
The building did not have sprinklers, but wasn’t required to.
Mayor Alex Morse says 24 of the 25 displaced families have been placed in permanent housing.
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This story has been corrected to show that the alarm system may not have been working properly and show that the announcement of the cause was Wednesday.
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