Man dies after fire in triple-decker on Phillips Street in Methuen
METHUEN - A man died Saturday after he was hospitalized following a fire in a Methuen on Friday night.
The fire broke out shortly before 6 p.m. Friday at a triple-decker on Phillips Street. The Methuen Fire Department said the fire began in a bedroom on the top floor. The fire was contained to the unit but three people who lived on the lower floors were displaced.
The victim was taken to the hospital, where he died on Saturday. He has not been identified.
The cause of the fire was determined by the state fire marshal to be accidental and caused by smoking materials.
Methuen Fire Chief Tim Sheehy said the residence didn't have working smoke alarms.
"For your safety and the safety of people you care for, please be sure you have working smoke alarms on every level of your home. Test them every month, and if they take alkaline batteries then change the batteries twice a year. Replace the alarm itself after 10 years. I can't stress this enough, for every member of our community: working smoke alarms save lives," Sheehy said in a statement.
