Authorities are investigating the cause of a three-alarm fire that killed seven people in Lowell, Massachusetts early Thursday morning.
The apartment building on Branch Street was home to more than 50 residents. Four adults and three children were killed, nine people were hospitalized, and over 40 others were left homeless by the blaze.
Massachusetts State Fire Captain Stephen Coan confirmed at a press conference on Thursday that there was no working sprinkler system in the building.
There have been reports that the smoke detectors that were installed in the building were not functional, but those reports are not confirmed.
“We have an ordinance in the city that requires that all rental units receive an inspection and get a permit once every three years, so this building was inspected in March of 2013 for sanitary co-compliance. That includes making sure that there are a working, appropriate number of smoke detectors and CO2 detectors,” Eric Slagle, the director of Lowell Development Services, explained.
Officials will continue to investigate the cause of the fire through building records and an extensive site inspection.
