1 Killed, 4 Hurt In Brockton Home Fire
BROCKTON (CBS) – An early morning fire claimed the life of a 39-year-0ld mother in Brockton on Thursday.
Firefighters responded the scene on Northfield Street around 2 a.m. Investigators say it was an electrical fire started in the second floor kitchen.
Five of the six residents had already escaped. One man told firefighters his sister was still trapped in the building, and firefighters rushed in to pull out a woman stuck in the second floor bathroom. She was rushed to an area hospital, where she later died.
WBZ-TV's Alana Gomez reports.
The Plymouth District Attorney's Office identified her as Darlene Blanchard.
"She was the nicest," said her nephew Avery Ciroc. "You couldn't even get into an argument with her because it would just turn into a laugh."
Blanchard had worked in the Brockton High School Cafeteria for 18 months. School officials released a statement Thursday morning.
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Karen Twomey reports.
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"Her co-workers remember her as a truly wonderful, upbeat and caring person who would go out of her way to help anyone," wrote Jocelyn Meek, spokesperson for the school.
"She was a member of our Brockton Public Schools family and we are saddened by this tragic loss," said Superintendent of Schools Matthew H. Malone, Ph.D. "We will do whatever we can to support our students and staff through this difficult time."
Grief counselors were on hand at the school Thursday.
Family members said she leaves behind two sons, who were not in the home during the fire.
"God takes good people sometimes," said Ciroc, her nephew.
