Fire officials identify man killed in Blackstone house fire

Blackstone Fire Department's Chief Sweeney said, “On behalf of the town, I offer our heartfelt condolences to the Lafayette family. This is a terrible tragedy for them.”

January 30, 2021 4:04 pm

Dominique Turner,

Blackstone Fire 1 30 — (Photo Courtesy of WCVB)

BLACKSTONE, Mass. (WLNE) – Fire officials identified a man who died in a house fire in Blackstone Saturday morning.

Officials said the fire broke out at the two-family home on Auclair Street around 2 a.m.

On Tuesday, the state fire marshal identified the victim as 30-year-old Teagan Lafayette.

Lafayette lived at the home, according to fire officials.

The fire reportedly started in the second floor living room, after a power strip failed. Due to the damage and destruction, it was unclear if all or some of the electrical appliances were plugged in and running.

Investigators found two space heaters, a television, and an Xbox nearby.

Blackstone Fire Department’s Chief Sweeney said, “On behalf of the town, I offer our heartfelt condolences to the Lafayette family. This is a terrible tragedy for them.”

Sweeney continued, “We are in the worst part of the winter and firefighters want everyone to keep warm and to keep safe. Make sure you have working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms on every level of your home and that they are less than 10 years old. Make a home escape plan that includes two ways out of every room and a meeting place outside.”

For more safety tips, go to www.mass.gov/keepwarmkeepsafe.

The Red Cross said they are assisting two adults who escaped the fire, but are now displaced.

State Fire Marshal Ostroskey said, “While we cannot say for certain that one or both space heaters were plugged into the power strip, it appears likely they overloaded it. I cannot stress enough how important it is to plug any heat generating appliance directly into the wall. Power strips are not designed to support the energy needed by a space heater.”