GRANVILLE – A homeless man who died in a fire Friday in Granville has not been formally identified by investigators and police are holding identification of a female companion who was injured in the same fire.
Granville Fire Chief Scott Loomis reports that the alarm for the fire at Hansen’s Garage on Silver Street was raised at 8:56 a.m. and he arrived at the scene within five minutes.
Loomis said that the fire inside a derelict van where a homeless couple had been sleeping was sparked when a two burner gas grill the couple had been using for heat and cooking ignited bedding material.
He said that the heat of the flames caused propane tanks in the van to vent and the escaping gas ignited.
The woman managed to exit the burning vehicle and was treated for burns and smoke inhalation at Noble Hospital.
The male occupant was not able to escape the vehicle and was deceased when Granville firefighters arrived, Loomis said.
State Trooper Michael Mazza of the Massachusetts Fire Marshal’s office said Monday afternoon that identification of the deceased man was not complete and the name of his surviving companion would be held pending confirmation of the man’s identity.
He said that the fire in the van ignited additional scrapped vehicles at the repair facility and the fire spread to the nearby shop building, triggering an automated request for mutual aid from firefighters in nearby communities.
He said that firefighters from Tolland, Southwick and East Hartland responded to assist but said that damage to the shop building was superficial and “we had no problem suppressing the fire.”
Loomis said that Granville firefighters were also called out the next day for another fire “just down the road.”
He said that a resident had been plowing with an unregistered pickup truck used only on his property when flames erupted from the engine compartment.
Loomis said that the truck, when the operator exited safely, was close to a building which ignited.
When the structure fire was reported, an automated request for mutual aid was triggered but the responding firefighters were not needed and were turned away.
Loomis said that the truck was fully involved in flames when Granville firefighters arrived but the flames were knocked down quickly although, he said, the truck was “a total loss.”
Like the fire the previous day, Loomis said, the fire Saturday caused only superficial damage to the building.
