Authorities identify man killed in fire that injured 4 others in New Bedford
One person dead, 4 others hospitalized after raging New Bedford fire
NEW BEDFORD, Mass. — Authorities on Tuesday identified a man who died in a two-alarm fire in New Bedford on Monday that may have started from smoking materials and electrical issues, officials said.
Alfred Martin, 88, of New Bedford, died in the fire that injured four other residents, Bristol County District Attorney Thomas Quinn said in a joint statement with New Bedford Fire Chief Scott Kruger, New Bedford Police Chief Paul Oliveira, and State Fire Marshal Jon Davine.
Martin, who lived on the first floor, was pronounced dead at the scene. An autopsy will determine the cause and manner of his death.
Martin is the first fire death in Massachusetts in 2025, Davine said. In 2024, smoking was the leading cause of residential fire fatalities in Massachusetts.
“On behalf of the New Bedford Fire Department, I want to express our heartfelt condolences to Mr. Martin’s family,” Kruger said. “Our thoughts are with them, and also with the residents who lost their home. This is a terrible loss for them and the community.”
One person dead, 4 others hospitalized after raging New Bedford fire
Around 1 p.m. Monday, firefighters responded to reports of a fire at a two-family house at 24 Cotter St.
When firefighters arrived, they saw heavy fire coming from the first- and second-floors and going through the roof.
Using a ladder truck, firefighters rescued one resident from the second floor, Kruger said. Three other residents escaped on their own. A total of four people were taken by ambulance to area hospitals for smoke inhalation. Their conditions were not known on Tuesday.
The fire quickly went to two alarms and destroyed the building, which was left charred and blackened. Firefighters brought the fire under control in about an hour and a half.
Preliminarily, the fire does not appear suspicious, officials said.
Investigators determined that the fire began near a couch in the first floor living room, near the front left of the home. They found smoking materials and an electrical outlet in this area but have not reached a determination as to the exact cause.
The origin and cause of the fire remain under investigation by New Bedford Fire, New Bedford Police, State Police fire investigators assigned to the State Fire Marshal’s office, and State Police assigned to the Bristol County District Attorney’s office.
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