1 Killed, 1 Hurt During Accidental Fire At Arlington Apartments For Elderly And Disabled

ARLINGTON (CBS) – One woman was killed and another was injured when a fire broke out Saturday morning at an apartment building in Arlington that houses elderly residents and people with disabilities.

Arlington Fire Chief Kevin M. Kelley said the fire was accidental and started with an electric baseboard heater that either malfunctioned or was close to combustible items.

It happened around 4 a.m. at Chestnut Manor on Medford Street. Firefighters were met with a "large volume" of smoke in a third floor unit.

Residents had self-evacuated to the balcony and were coming out an adjacent unit when firefighters got to the scene.

Flames were contained to one unit.

A woman over the age of 65 who lived in the unit next to where flames started was taken to an area hospital but did not survive. Her name has been released yet.

The woman who lives where the fire began was rushed to Mount Auburn Hospital with "smoke-related injuries."

Depute Fire Chief James Bailey said the fire walls saved the rest of the building.

About 100 people were evacuated during the fire, but about 16 were displaced due to smoke and water damage. The unit where the fire started was a complete loss.

"On behalf of the Arlington Fire Department, I want to express our deepest condolences to the victim's loved ones," said Chief Kelley. "Her loss is a tragedy for the family and the community. Fortunately, smoke alarms and fire sprinklers in the building operated properly, alerting residents and containing the fire until our firefighters arrived to extinguish it. Without smoke alarms and sprinklers, this morning's tragedy could have been even worse."

No firefighters were injured.