Vermont Business Magazine In response to today’s structure fire at 199 King Street, Mayor Miro Weinberger released the following statement:
“Early this morning, Burlington lost two residents in the City’s first fatal fire since June 2012. My heart goes out to the friends and loved ones of the deceased, and the other five households who are now displaced. I walked the burned-out building with Fire Chief Steven Locke soon after it had been stabilized. I commend the Burlington firefighters who responded to this tragedy within minutes of the emergency call. They moved swiftly through the structure while it was still engulfed in flames to ensure that no other lives were lost.
“An investigation into the cause of the fire is underway. What is already clear is that the fire moved through the apartment building with stunning speed and power, upending the normalcy of many lives in a matter of minutes. I urge everyone to check your smoke alarms and fire systems regularly – and hug your loved ones. Despite all the progress we have made on building fire safety in recent decades, our protection from sudden tragedy requires ongoing vigilance.”
Preliminary investigation into the fatal structure fire at 199 King Street reveal it to be accidental in nature. It was determined that one of the occupants fell asleep with smoking materials that ignited nearby combustibles. While the BFD is not releasing the victim’s personal information, they can confirm that the victims were a 31 year old male and a 55 year old male.
Source: Burlington, VT – Mayor. BFD