Updated video report: One person killed in blaze in Chatham

CHATHAM – From Chatham Fire: On Monday, October 31, at approximately 2:10 PM, the Chatham Fire Department received a 911 call from the neighbor to the rear of 1369 Main Street, reporting smoke coming from the chimney and second floor windows. Deputy Chief Tavano arrived on scene with Chatham Police Officers and confirmed smoke and heat conditions throughout the structure. Neighbors were unsure if the occupant had escaped but reported that all his vehicles were present in the driveway and that he is typically home during the daytime hours.

The first arriving Chatham engine stretched an attack line to the front door and forced entry through a locked door. The crew searched the first floor and did not locate the resident or any visible fire. The crew then extended the hose line to the basement via an interior stairwell and were met by a large volume of thick smoke and heat. Due to the limited visibility and large quantity of belongings being stored in the basement, the crew had a difficult time accessing the seat of the fire.

Additional arriving Chatham, Harwich and Orleans firefighters continued to search the upper floors for the resident and for fire extension. Crews eventually located the seat of the fire in a basement closet. Exterior crews were able to establish a secondary basement access point via a door that was initially blocked off in the garage. As the basement fire was extinguished, and smoke was ventilated from the basement, visibility improved, and the crews were able to locate the resident in the basement. The victim was quickly extricated and placed into a waiting Chatham ambulance. The victim was transported to Cape Cod Hospital with life threatening injuries. The building sustained major smoke and heat damage throughout. There were no firefighter injuries reported.

The State Fire Marshall’s Office was requested to the scene to assist in the investigation. Firefighters from Chatham, Harwich, Brewster, and Orleans assisted with extinguishment. Firefighters from Dennis, Yarmouth, and Eastham provided station coverage.

Update from State Fire Marshal’s Office: Chatham Fire Chief David DePasquale, State Fire Marshal Peter Ostroskey, and Cape & Islands District Attorney Michael O’Keefe announced that a residential fire in Chatham has claimed one person’s life. The victim’s name is not being released pending full family notifications and a formal identification process by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.

The Chatham Fire/Rescue Department responded to the scene shortly after 2:00 this afternoon for a report of a fire at the 2½ story single-family home. On arrival, firefighters observed heavy smoke coming from the structure and found a fire in the basement. Firefighters rescued one person, an adult male, from the building; he was transported to Cape Cod Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the Chatham Fire Department and State Police assigned to the offices of the State Fire Marshal and Cape & Islands District Attorney. They are being assisted by additional State Police assets and the Code Compliance & Enforcement Unit of the Department of Fire Services.