Man dead in Newton house fire, officials say

A man died in a fire at a two-family duplex in Newton Sunday morning, officials said. 

Officials responded to 1243 Walnut St. at about 8:30 a.m. for reports of a fire, the State Fire Marshal’s office said in a statement Sunday afternoon.

Upon arrival, crews discovered “heavy fire” coming from the first floor windows of the residence and learned that one person was still inside the house, according to the statement. 

Firefighters made entry and found the man on the first floor. He was pronounced dead on scene. 

Another resident of the unit escaped without serious injury, officials said. People living in the second unit were also able to get out on their own. Firefighters also rescued a cat from the residence, according to the statement. 

The fire was put out in about 30 minutes, officials said. One firefighter’s gear sustained “significant thermal damage” from the fire while inside the residence, according to officials. 

“Our hearts go out to the family who lost a loved one today,” said Newton Mayor Ruthanne Fuller and Newton Fire Chief Gregory J. Gentile in a statement. “This is the third fatal fire in our community since December. We want to urge all our residents to have working smoke alarms on every level of your home. And if you hear those alarms sound, please — get out, stay out, and close the doors on the way out.”

The cause of the fire remains under investigation, but does not appear to be suspicious, officials said.