Video: 2 dead in Danvers fire

Two people perished in a Lawrence Street two-family home Wednesday afternoon, but were not found until firefighters were able to knock down a fierce fire enough to gain entrance.

"All the crews at the scene made a valiant effort to gain entry to that building," said Deputy Fire Chief Kevin Farrell on Thursday. "It's disheartening for all of us."

Farrell said firefighters had found only one smoke alarm, in the basement, and it did not have a battery.

The names of the deceased man and woman are being withheld until relatives are notified.

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Police and firefighters were alerted at 2:35 p.m. to smoke coming from 30 Lawrence St., Farrell said. On arrival, they found a passerby had already entered the first-floor apartment. He had found no one there. Firefighters then tried to enter the second-floor apartment, Farrell said.

"Due to heavy smoke and high heat, and (because we were) not certain as to the structural integrity of the building, we could not make it much beyond the rear entry," Farrell said.

From the outside, firefighters were able to get to the front bedroom window, but heavy smoke obscured the view, Farrell continued, and they did not see anyone.

At about 4:30 p.m., they entered the bedroom, where they found a woman, dead.

The first-floor tenant, who had arrived after receiving a call about the fire, told firefighters the man upstairs usually slept during the day after working a night shift. By about 5 p.m., after continuing to fight the fire, firefighters entered the living room and found the man, Farrell said.

"The house is a total loss," he said.

Under command of Capt. Doug Conrad, two engine companies, two ladder companies and the rescue team responded to the scene, where firefighters from Beverly and Middleton joined them. Topsfield, Salem and Peabody firefighters covered headquarters, said Danvers Fire Capt. Robert Pyburn.

Danvers police helped direct and control traffic, said Sgt. Robert Bettencourt on Thursday, including Detective Sgt. Robert Carlton, who will also help the Danvers Fire Investigation Unit and the state investigative team to determine a cause of the conflagration.

Dennie Valentine of Stoneham, a carpenter whose brother, Tom Valentine, is a resident of 23 Lawrence St., was one of the first on the scene.

"I was dropping my brother off after work just before 3," Valentine said. "One of my buddies, Bobby Devarenne, who lives in Danvers, was driving up the street. He came in and said the house across the street was on fire."

There was a car parked in the driveway of the rental house and the men were concerned that someone was trapped inside. Despite the heavy smoke, they broke the door down and went in.

"We checked to see if anybody was on the first floor," said Valentine, saying they thought someone might need help. Finding no one, they were about to try to go up to the second floor, where the fire was coming from.

"That's when the fire trucks and police cruisers arrived," Valentine said. He counted nine fire trucks including three hook-and-ladders, and about a half dozen police cars with one from Peabody to help with traffic control.

At 5:10 p.m., Valentine reported that the fire was out, and the hoses had been pulled from the building. At that time, he hadn't seen any tenants returning to the house, which three people rent in the two apartments.

"There's a possibility that there may be somebody on the second floor," said Valentine at the time, who saw the ambulance leave with the stretcher, but he didn't see anybody carried out.

Danvers Chief Assessor said the home was bought in 1982 and has stayed in the same family, with just a transfer by Eleanor Teal to a trust in 2005. Tax bills are sent to 76 Collins St. The property is assessed for $345,500, which includes $204,400 for the land.

"This is typical of older homes in more settled areas, that the land is worth more than the structure," Locke said.

Other than the one smoke alarm in the basement without a battery, firefighters found no others at the scene according to Deputy Chief Farrell. They did not hear any alarms when they entered the building.

By law, when a building is sold, it must have smoke alarms installed outside sleeping areas, Farrell said. Usually, the bank that will hold the mortgage asks for a fire inspection to make sure this has been done; if not, the mortgage is held up. He did not know if a transfer to a trust within the same family would trigger the law.