Massachusetts authorities say the cause of a deadly fire at a 2-story family home in Chelsea earlier this month was electrical.
The 3-alarm fire at 48 Watts St. claimed the life of Milton Lopez on May 3.
Investigators said the fire started in a void space above the suspended ceiling of an enclosed porch. Investigators determined that there were numerous electrical circuits in the area and an electrical issue occurred — causing the fire.
Lopez's body was found on that enclosed back porch.
In addition to the electrical issue, Chelsea Fire, state police and the state fire marshal said the home had missing and disconnected smoke alarms, carbon monoxide alarms and heat detectors.
"May is Electrical Safety Month and electrical fires are the second leading cause of fire deaths in Massachusetts behind smoking," said State Fire Marshal Peter Ostroskey. "It's important to have a licensed electrician check out your system every ten years to prevent problems."
