Massachusetts State Police Employee, 3 Family Members Die in House Fire

Police say one victim was a civilian member of the Massachusetts State Police

The Massachusetts State Fire Marshal says that four people died Sunday morning in a house fire in Greenfield.

Authorities said the victims were a family of three adults and one child.

Colonel Richard D. McKeon, superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police, identified the victims as Brian Tower, a civilian employee of the state police, and his wife Florenda Tower, her son Raymond Wood, and Raymond's five-year-old son, William Paul Clark.

"Brian was a member of our state police family, and as such, his loved ones were also part of our family. We are mourning the sudden and tragic losses of four members of the MSP family tonight," McKeon said in a statement.

The fire broke out at about 5:30 a.m. at a single family home on Meridian Street. Police said crews tried to enter the building upon arrival, but the fire was too intense.

"There were multiple attempts by the police and the fire department to make entry to try and perform rescues, unfortunately they were unsuccessful due to the high amount of heat and flames," said Greenfield Fire Chief Robert Strahan.

Neighbors said they saw police and firefighters banging on the doors, trying to get the family out of the home.

"We were certainly hoping that someone was not hurt and they are out of the house, in this case, unfortunately that was not the case," said one neighbor who did not want to give his name.

Neighbors say the family was quiet but very nice.

"They pretty much kept to themselves. I would be out in garden, they would be out in the yard, I would say hi to them," the neighbor said.

Authorities said Brian Tower was a radio maintenance technician, responsible for servicing the radio systems in the state police cruisers and the portable radios carried by troopers.

The Greenfield Fire and Police Departments, in addition to State Police assigned to the State Fire Marshal's Office, are investigating the blaze. The Department of Fire Services' Code Compliance Unit and the State Police Crime Scene Services are also assisting.

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