Pittsfield Fire Tragedy Highlights Statewide Smoke Detector Crisis In Mass.

The tragic death of 76-year-old Noreen Reu after a late Saturday night fire at her Virginia Avenue home in Pittsfield is sending a sobering message across Massachusetts, and it starts with something as simple as a smoke detector.

Reu, a lifelong Pittsfield resident who lived at the Virginia Avenue address for about 20 years, was pulled from her home by firefighters after flames broke out just after 11 p.m. She was transported to Berkshire Medical Center, where she later died from her injuries.

State Fire Marshal Jon M. Davine confirmed that investigators found no working smoke alarms inside the home. More alarming, this is now the fourth fatal fire in Massachusetts this year where no working smoke detectors were found.

Four fatal fires. Four homes without working smoke alarms. We're barely into February. Reu had suffered a stroke about a decade ago that left her with limited mobility and difficulty speaking.

Her son Brian and daughter-in-law Erica said she was fiercely independent and determined to stay in the home she knew well, despite her challenges. They visited nearly every day to help with groceries and daily needs. -berkshireeagle.com

"Her family, her grandkids were everything to her," Erica Reu said. Fire Marshal Davine is urging all Massachusetts residents to check their smoke detectors now, and to help elderly neighbors and family members do the same.

If you need help with installation, your local fire department can assist. It's a five-second check that could save a life. After what happened on Virginia Avenue this weekend, that's not just a suggestion - it's a plea.