Woman Dies In Dorchester Apartment Fire
BOSTON (CBS) – A woman died Saturday after an overnight fire at a Dorchester apartment complex.
Firefighters responded to Talbot Avenue at Codman Square in Dorchester around 3:50 a.m. Saturday.
Steve MacDonald, public information officer for the Boston Fire Department, said the fire broke out on the second floor of the 54-unit apartment building that was formerly the Girls Latin Academy.
The woman was found inside a second floor apartment. She was rushed to Boston Medical Center where she was pronounced dead.
Neighbors and family referred to the woman as "Tanya." Her nephew, Derek Watkins, says his aunt was a retired nurse who was loved by many in the neighborhood.
"It is really killing me right now," he told WBZ-TV's Paul Burton. "My heart is broken."
"I was surprised. I was shocked," friend Kyle Tonge told WBZ. "She was a sweet, very loving person. (She'd) make you laugh (and had) a good spirit."
Resident Christopher Norman added the news was hard to digest because someone lost their life.
MacDonald said the fire was contained to the second floor apartment and no other units were impacted. Damage is estimated at around $250,000.
On Saturday, crews were working to board up the unit.
The cause of the fire has not yet been determined, and the manner of death will be determined by the Medical Examiner's Office.
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Kim Tunnicliffe reports
