Thursday, 4:30 PM
One dead after early morning Westford fire
By Brian Ballou, Globe Staff
Officials identified the 21-year-old Westford woman killed early today when a fire ripped through her large family home, leaving eight other members of her family homeless.
Westford Fire Chief Richard Rochon said Suzanne St. Gelais was found in a room on the second floor towards the back of the home. St. Gelais, who was not married, was attending a local community college.
Rochon said local investigators and a team from the State Fire Marshal's office are investigating the cause of the blaze, which neighbors said began with the sound of an explosion and sent flames hurtling into the sky.
The fire, fanned by high winds, eventually caused the collapse of most of the building's roof. Firefighters were ordered to abandon the structure shortly before the collapse.
No other injuries were reported, officials said.
