Thursday, 4:30 PM
Woman dies while fire station closed
By Kay Lazar and Raja Mishra, Globe Staff
GLOUCESTER — Gloucester firefighters took more than 11 minutes to reach a burning house late Sunday, only to find a 42-year-old woman dead inside, one mile from a fire station that had been closed recently because of budget cuts.
City officials said Monday that Bridget Clary, an aspiring screenwriter, might have been saved if the city had not been forced to close two full-time fire stations after residents voted against a proposed tax increase.
Instead, fire crews stationed in downtown Gloucester had to drive more than five miles along slick, winding roads to the fire in the city’s northernmost neighborhood. Their response time was nearly double the six-minute benchmark set by national fire authorities, officials said.
Clary was found unresponsive in her bed, surrounded by a blanket of smoke, officials said. Clary was pronounced dead shortly afterward.
The cause of the fire was under investigation.
The fiscal issues underscoring the tragedy have resonated in cities and towns throughout the Commonwealth, where residents weary of property taxes have been forced repeatedly to choose between more taxes and reduced municipal services.
