PITTSFIELD, Mass. (AP) — Fire officials in Pittsfield say a home where an elderly couple died in a fire had only one smoke detector that was on a basement shelf.
The fire that broke out just before 4 a.m. Thursday killed 74-year-old Raymond Kinsella and 73-year-old Beverly Kinsella. The couple's adult daughter, who lived with her parents, managed to escape but suffered minor burns.
Fire department spokeswoman Cindy Ouellette told The Berkshire Eagle there were no smoke alarms on the first or second floors. She said the lone detector was on a basement shelf and went off as the family was sleeping.
Officials said it is important to have detectors on all levels of a home.
Fire Chief Robert Czerwinski says the cause of the fire was likely an electrical cord that short circuited.
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