Fires highlight dangers of space heaters

Katie Mcauliffe (left) hugged neighbor Mary Sullivan as they stood in a backyard next to the gutted Hotel Eaton condos on Emerson Street in South Boston that were destroyed Monday. (JOHN TLUMACKI/GLOBE STAFF)

A bedroom space heater, considered the cause of last week's Dorchester fire that killed two children, is a grim reminder of winter fire hazards, city officials said yesterday.

Rebecca Zizi, 9, and her brother, Rooben, 11, were killed in the fire, which broke out shortly after midnight Saturday. Their family has insisted that the space heater was not in use that night.

"We wouldn't make this determination lightly," said Boston Fire Chief Kevin MacCurtain. "There is no blame for the family. This was an accidental fire."

MacCurtain said fire investigators concluded, based on the burn pattern, that the fire started inside the bedroom of the Bellevue Street apartment. He said that investigators searched for other ignition sources, such as a faulty electrical connection, but that the evidence led them back to the bedroom and the space heater.

Investigators are continuing to look for the cause of Monday night's seven-alarm South Boston fire that killed a couple and caused $5 million in damage.

Five people have died in fires in Boston in the past two weeks, MacCurtain said.

"The events of the past two weeks are a tragic reminder for all of us of the horror that fire can bring in a moment's notice," he said.

MacCurtain, Mayor Thomas M. Menino, Fire Commissioner Roderick Fraser, and Judy Comoletti of the National Fire Protection Association outlined safe ways to use space heaters as the region faces single-digit temperatures this week and more cold weather in months to come. Half of all residential fires occur between December and February, according to the association.

"When the temperature drops, the level of danger rises," Menino said. "Safety must be our top priority."

The association found in a recent study that space heaters caused 32 percent of home heating fires in 2005 and 73 percent of deaths from such fires.

"The message here is that space heaters need space," Comoletti said. "At night, the heater needs to be turned off. . . . These fires can be prevented."

When operating space heaters, keep them at least 3 feet away from paper or bedding, specialist advise. The best approach, they say, is to use space heaters to warm bedrooms, then shut them off before sleeping. Also, use only space heaters approved by Underwriters Laboratory, which conducts equipment safety reviews, and follow the manufacturer's directions, MacCurtain said.

As the cause of the South Boston fire remained unknown yesterday, residents of the former Hotel Eaton on Emerson Street yesterday vowed to rebuild the five-story, 18-unit building.

"This is my home." said Ruth Scully, who has lived in a first-floor unit since 1983.

Condo trustee Mary Sullivan said that residents have scattered, but that most appear to have found places to stay with friends or relatives, as she has. Residents may get their first chance to get inside their former homes today, Sullivan said.

Peter C. Clancy, who lived on the first floor where the fire is believed to have started, died when overcome with smoke, officials have said. A woman's body that neighbors believe was Clancy's wife, Arvette, was found Tuesday.

The couple's three children, who were staying with family friends in Dorchester, visited the scene yesterday. The children range in age from 15 to early 20s.

"They are safe," said Albert Bushman, whose family is caring for the children. He said the Clancy children did not want to talk to reporters.

John Ellement can be reached at ellement@globe.com.