‘Tragic’: Man dead after fire at Nantucket home that had 6 disabled smoke alarms, officials say

NANTUCKET, Mass. — A man is dead and a dog is hospitalized after a fire tore through a home on Nantucket that had six disabled smoke alarms, authorities announced Thursday.

Firefighters responding to a blaze at a single-family home on Green Meadows Drive around 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday found a man inside the burning structure as they worked to extinguish the flames, according to Nantucket Fire Chief Michael Cranson.

The man, 62-year-old Peter S. Gurley, was rushed to Nantucket Cottage Hospital, where he ultimately died from his injuries.

A dog rescued from the fire was stabilized and taken to Offshore Animal Hospital for further care.

During a subsequent investigation, officials found six disabled smoke alarms that had been removed from their bases, contained dead batteries or had no batteries at all, Cranson, Nantucket Police Chief Jody D. Kasper, State Fire Marshal Jon M. Davine, and Cape & Islands District Attorney Robert J. Galibois said in a joint news release.

Investigators believe the fire started in the living room, where smoking materials and an overloaded power strip were found.

“Smoke alarms are fundamental life safety tools and I’m urging all our residents to be sure they’re in place on every level of your home,” Cranson said in a statement. “Many tragic events like this one can be prevented with working alarms. If your alarms take alkaline batteries, be sure to change the batteries twice a year when you change your clocks.”

An investigation remains ongoing.

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

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