AGAWAM - The Monday morning fire that killed a resident of a Springfield Street mobile home was accidental, and linked to a combination of smoking in bed and the presence of medical oxygen, according to a statement issued by town officials and the state fire marshal.
The 4:30 a.m. fire at the mobile home park at 74 Springfield St. destroyed the mobile home and killed the sole resident. As of Tuesday afternoon the name of the deceased has not been disclosed to the press.
The cause of the fire was determined following an investigation by the Agawam Fire and Police departments, the state Fire Marshal’s Office and the state police detectives assigned to the Hampden District Attorney’s office.
Using medical oxygen created what was called an “oxygen-rich environment” inside the bedroom, and levels of oxygen in the air, and on clothing and furniture makes it easier for a fire to start and spread.
Agawam Fire Chief Alan Sirois said people using medical oxygen should keep it at least 10 feet from any open flame or heat source. “There is no safe way to to smoke around home oxygen,” he said.
Fire Marshal Peter S. Ostroskey said in the past decade their have been 10 deaths and 45 injuries in fires in residences using medical oxygen. People who need medical oxygen should not smoke cigarettes, he said.
Sirois said the home also had no functioning smoke detectors. The only alarm that was found did not have a working battery.
Agawam has had two fatal house fires in the last eight months and each involved improper disposal of smoking materials and a lack of working smoke detectors, he said.