'A Very Tragic Situation,' Elderly Woman Dies In Cambridge House Fire
CAMBRIDGE (CBS) - An elderly woman died in a fire at a home in Cambridge early Wednesday morning.
Cambridge Fire Chief Gerry Mahoney said they got a 911 call just before 7:30 a.m. from someone walking down the street who saw flames and smoke coming from the second floor of the triple-decker house on Webster Avenue.
Mahoney said the fire burnt away part of the rear staircase and the porches partially collapsed. He said an elderly woman was found dead inside.
Family members identified the victim as 88-year-old Maria Pacheco, a mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. Pacheco lived on the second floor of the home, according to her family.
"It's just a very tragic situation," the chief told reporters. "It's upsetting to see loss of life."
No one else was hurt. It's not clear yet where or how the fire started.
Cambridge Fire officials confirm an elderly woman was killed in this fire on Webster Ave. photo from @CambridgeMAFire @wbz pic.twitter.com/7ssCxbKe9T
— Anna Meiler (@AnnaMeiler) December 29, 2021
Four people were forced out of the home and are now looking for another place to stay.
Mahoney said no one will be living there "for quite some time."
Investigators believe the fire began in a second-floor kitchen. There was no evidence the fire was intentionally set, but the exact cause remains under investigation.