By: Laura Soukkavong
ATTLEBORO — Two Attleboro residents were found dead inside a single-family home Wednesday morning after firefighters responding to a well-being check discovered evidence of a significant fire that had occurred earlier, according to Massachusetts fire officials.
The victims were identified by the Bristol County District Attorney’s Office as Paul Courtemanche, 76, and Carol Courtemanche, 78. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will determine the cause and manner of their deaths.
Attleboro firefighters responded to 32 Andover Avenue at approximately 11:50 a.m. Wednesday, October 14. Inside the residence, they found both occupants deceased and signs of substantial fire damage.
Investigators subsequently determined that there were no working smoke alarms or carbon monoxide alarms in the home, according to a Thursday announcement from State Fire Marshal Jon M. Davine.
The origin and cause of the fire were investigated jointly by State Police fire investigators assigned to the State Fire Marshal’s Office, the Attleboro Fire Department, the Attleboro Police Department and State Police assigned to the Bristol County District Attorney’s Office.
The Department of Fire Services’ Code Compliance and Enforcement Unit assisted in the investigation and confirmed the absence of functioning smoke and carbon monoxide alarms.
Investigators are examining accidental factors and do not believe the fire was intentionally set, based on the scene examination, witness interviews and other evidence. Officials have not announced a definitive cause of the fire.
The discovery has prompted a renewed warning from state fire officials about the importance of functioning smoke alarms, particularly in homes occupied by older adults.
“Everyone needs working smoke alarms on every level of their home,” said State Fire Marshal Davine. “Most modern furnishings are petroleum-based synthetics. The smoke they release when they burn is especially toxic, making house fires grow deadly faster than ever before. Working smoke alarms can alert you to that danger before it’s too late.”
Davine said more than half of Massachusetts fire deaths so far this year have involved people ages 65 or older. Both residents who died in the Attleboro fire were in that age group.
Fire officials have repeatedly warned that residential fires can become life-threatening within minutes, leaving occupants little time to escape when smoke and toxic gases spread through a building.
Working smoke alarms are intended to provide early warning, giving residents an opportunity to leave a home before smoke, heat and flames block exits.
Massachusetts requires working smoke alarms in homes, with placement requirements that vary according to the building and applicable fire safety standards.
The Department of Fire Services recommends alarms on every level of a residence, in sleeping areas and outside bedrooms, as well as near stairways and basement access points.
Residents should test smoke alarms monthly and replace units that have reached the end of their service life. State fire safety guidance generally calls for replacing smoke alarms after 10 years.
Fire officials also recommend checking the manufacturing date on each alarm and replacing batteries when necessary. Many replacement battery-operated alarms are required to use sealed, long-life batteries and include a hush feature.
Carbon monoxide alarms provide a separate protection against a gas that cannot be seen, smelled or tasted. State officials recommend checking those devices along with smoke alarms and replacing them according to their manufacturer’s specified service life.
The Attleboro investigation illustrates the potential danger of a residence without working warning devices, although investigators have not stated that the absence of alarms was the sole cause of the two deaths.
Authorities have not publicly established exactly when the fire began or how long it burned before firefighters discovered the scene.
The investigation remains focused on determining the fire’s origin and cause, while the medical examiner’s findings will address the cause and manner of death for Paul and Carol Courtemanche.
State fire officials are urging residents to check their alarms and to help older relatives, friends and neighbors who may need assistance installing, testing or replacing the devices.