BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) - Two men are dead and five families have lost their homes following a fatal, third-alarm fire on King Street in Burlington. The Mayor’s office says the fatal fire marks the city’s first since 2012.
Burlington fire officials say they received several calls around 5:15 a.m. Saturday reporting a six-unit apartment at 199 King Street was on fire. When firefighters arrived, flames engulfed the second floor and were extending into the third.
Crews discovered two unconscious victims in one of the second floor apartments, a 31-year-old male and a 55-year-old male. One man was transported to UVM Medical Center. Both died from their injuries. Officials have not released their names.
Officials say the building did not have automatic fire sprinklers or a monitored fire alarm, but they noted several smoke alarms in the individual apartments. A preliminary investigation determined the fire was accidental. Officials say one of the residents fell asleep with smoking materials, which ignited nearby combustible materials.
A total of 46 Burlington firefighters responded to the incident, assisted by several area departments, including South Burlington and Colchester. One firefighter sustained minor injuries. Nobody else got hurt.
Two of the apartments sustained significant fire damage. The others have both smoke and water damage.
Mayor Miro Weinberger released the following statement in response:
“Early this morning, Burlington lost two residents in the City’s first fatal fire since June 2012. My heart goes out to the friends and loved ones of the deceased, and the other five households who are now displaced. I walked the burned-out building with Fire Chief Steven Locke soon after it had been stabilized. I commend the Burlington firefighters who responded to this tragedy within minutes of the emergency call. They moved swiftly through the structure while it was still engulfed in flames to ensure that no other lives were lost.
“An investigation into the cause of the fire is underway. What is already clear is that the fire moved through the apartment building with stunning speed and power, upending the normalcy of many lives in a matter of minutes. I urge everyone to check your smoke alarms and fire systems regularly – and hug your loved ones. Despite all the progress we have made on building fire safety in recent decades, our protection from sudden tragedy requires ongoing vigilance.”
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Burlington fire kills two, displaces five families - WCAX
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