Man and dog killed, woman critically hurt in Hopkinton house fire

HOPKINTON, Mass. — – A man and a dog were killed and a woman was hurt in an early-morning house fire in Hopkinton.

Hopkinton Fire Chief Bill Miller said several neighbors called 911 just after 1 a.m. Sunday to report the fire.

Firefighters ran straight into the burning, single-story home. They found a senior man in the hallway and a senior woman in a bedroom.

Both victims were rushed to Milford Regional Medical Center. The man was pronounced dead at the hospital and the woman was airlifted to Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, where she is in critical condition.

“It’s terrible, it’s terrible for the family, it’s terrible for the community,” said Chief Miller. “Hopkinton is a tight-knit community, it’s a wonderful community, so this is devastating throughout.”

Neighbors told Boston 25 News the man who died was a veteran and a talented musician who was very humble and always happy.

“He was such a nice guy, I just can’t believe what’s happened to him, especially on Easter,” said Tom Smith, who had been having coffee with the victim for over five years. “We called him Mr. Happy. He would help anybody, he was the nicest guy, he was involved with all the burials of veterans in state.”

Friends told Boston 25 News the victim had a doctoral degree in sound technology, a masters in drums, and played the keyboard.

“He’s a very, very nice person, so is she,” said Arthur Brooks, who lives down the road from the couple. “We are going to be going to services very shortly for Easter morning and will be thinking of them and all their families.” The fire chief said several neighbors called 911, and investigators did not find any working smoke detectors in the home.

“Smoke detectors are only good for 10 years,” said Chief Miller. “Please everybody take a few minutes to look at them, change the batteries, make sure they’re working, have an escape plan. I mean all the stuff is going to help down the road.”

Hayward St. was closed in both directions for hours after the fire.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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