Peabody Fire Victim Dies 1 Week After Ellsworth Road Blaze

PEABODY, MA — A Peabody resident who suffered severe burns in an Ellsworth Road fire last week has died.

The man was found unconscious outside of the home that was destroyed in the three-alarm fire. His wife was also taken to the hospital with lesser injuries.

"On behalf of the Peabody Fire Department, I want to express our deepest condolences to the victim's family and loved ones," Peabody Fire Chief Joseph Daly. "This was a tragic event for them and the community, and we believe the tragedy could have been even greater if not for working smoke alarms in the building."

The fire broke out about 2:30 a.m. and was reported by neighbors. Salem and Lynn crews helping Peabody firefighters battled the blaze for four about hours before bringing it under control.

While investigators said they have not reached a final determination as to its cause, they have determined that it began in a first-floor bedroom and found no evidence that it was deliberately set.

"About half of all fatal fires take place between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m.," State Fire Marshal PeterOstroskey said. "The most common causes are smoking materials and electrical events. There's no safe way to smoke, but if you must smoke then please don't do it in bed or when you're
drowsy. Use a sturdy ashtray with water or sand and be sure to put it out, all the way, every time."

"Electrical fires often start with too many devices plugged into extension cords or power strips," said Chief Daly added. "Remember that heating appliances like space heaters should be plugged directly into a wall outlet. And when charging phones, laptops, or other devices, always place them on a hard and sturdy surface – never on a bed or sofa."

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)