Apr 1, 2008 12:36 pm US/Eastern
Fire Guts Mansion Near Curry College
MILTON, Mass. (WBZ) ―
A clutter-filled mansion in Milton was gutted by a four-alarm fire early Tuesday morning.
The fire broke out around 6 a.m. in the 100-year-old home on Brush Hill Road, near Curry College. Firefighters initially thought it was empty.
But a woman, identified by relatives as Virginia Boyle, was inside at the time. Investigators say she was smoking a cigarette in a bedroom and that sparked the fire. She was able to get out safely. No one else was hurt.
Neighbors say the home was filled with oil paintings and antiques. Some were unaware that anyone was living there. Relatives say Boyle had lived alone in the mansion for a couple of years.
Milton Fire Chief Malcolm Larson told reporters the home needed major repairs and had been neglected for several years. He added that the town's fire prevention officer ruled that no one should have been living there.
Larson said clutter throughout the home may have fueled the fire.
Brush Hill Road was shut down briefly so firefighters could reach the house, which is now considered a total loss.
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