Fires Lead to Tragedy, Displacement for Senior Living Community Residents

Tragedy struck on the morning of Wednesday, Dec. 3, when a fire in a senior living community in Winchester, MA left one person dead.

An unnamed victim, identified by police only as “a woman in her 60s,” suffered burns during an apartment fire. She was taken to Massachusetts General Hospital, where she died on Thursday.

Winchester police are unsure of what caused the fire. The police and Winchester fire department responded to reports of a fire at The Gables of Winchester at 10:19 a.m, according to a Middlesex District Attorney spokesperson.

Winchester’s Fire Chief and Police Chief released a statement, along with the State Fire Marshal, that said that the smoke alarm in the woman’s apartment had been disabled. Other residents had been alerted to the fire when hallway smoke alarms went off.

The woman’s clothing had ignited, causing serious burns to her body, but the apartment had little fire damage. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation by fire officials.

Another fire occurred just hours later on the same day in another senior facility in Wheatland, PA. Police evacuated 17 residents of Buchanon Manner after flames engulfed the building.

All residents got out safely but were displaced and staying at a nearby Methodist Church. The cause of the fire is still under investigation, as well.

And fires aren’t the only thing that senior residents have to worry about.

One 90-year-old woman in an Austin, TX, senior home reported money missing from her apartment. Upon investigation, the culprit turned out to be a maintenance staffer at the facility.