ORANGE, Mass. (AP) - Smoking is being blamed for a mobile home fire in Massachusetts that took the life of an elderly woman and her two dogs.
The Northwestern District Attorney’s office has announced Wednesday that 79-year-old Jane Peterson died in the Monday night fire in Orange.
Fire Chief Jim Young said Tuesday there were no working smoke alarms in the home and an excessive amount of clutter may have both helped the fire spread and made it harder for the woman to escape.
Firefighters used a ladder to enter the home through a window and found Peterson.
State Fire Marshal Peter Ostroskey said she is the 23rd person to die in a fire in Massachusetts this year.
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